WILLIAM  B.  MERRILL, 

jDERRY,  JV.  H. 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


c 


THE 


CONTRAST: 

IT 


A    N  0  V  E  L 


-B  Y 


E.   S.    VILLA-REAL     GOOCH, 


-THE     FIRST     AMERICAN    EDITION. 

WILMINGTON: 
Printed  and  fold  by  JOSEPH  JOHNSON 
No.  73  Market-ftreet  Oppofite  the  BANK. 


V: 

THE 


CONTRAST: 


A    NOVEL. 


CHAP.    I. 


ON  the  coaft  of  Cornwall  is  a  fmall  vil 
lage,  fituate  on  a  rifmg  hill,  which 
commands  a  view  of  the  fea.  A  chapel,  built 
on  the  fummit,  is  its  principal  edifice;  thi* 
ther  did  the  hearts  of  its  humble  inhabitants 
repair  to  invoke  the  mercy  of  their  Creator, 
and  oft  did  they  implore  him  to  protect  fuch 
of  their  friends  and  relations  as  were  expci- 
ed  to  the  boiiterous  element  below  it.  Nor 
was  this  the  only  purpofe  to  which  this  fm> 
ple  building  was  adapted ;  frequently  did  its 
white  front  borrow  aid  from  the  moon,  and 

1.58M 


4  THE     C  O  N  L  R  A  S  T; 

lei  ved  as  a.  Wd  mark  to  the    diftreiFed    marin- 
-ers,    ;vho  were  driven  within  its    view. 

This  village,  which  I  fhall  call  Birtland, 
might:  have  been  juitly  defcribed  as  iecluded 
from  the  world.  No  proud  lord  ufurped  its 
happy  domaiu.  No  legal  plunderer  attended 
to  fettle  thofe  trifling  differences  between  man 
and  man,  which,  without  fuch  interference, 
might  be  foon  adjuited  ;  but  which,  when  ap 
plied,  frequently  proves  worfe  than  the  evil. 
At  Birtland,  the  age  of  primitive  innocence 
itill  exifted  ;  at  Birtland,  all  was  union  and 
perfect  tranquillity. 

i  (  Within  two  miles  of  this  happy  village  flood 
an  ancient  caftle,  formerly  the  refidence  of  the 
houfe  of  liaftings.  Many  were  the  illuftrious 
Earlf,  of  Huntingdon  who  had  drawn  their  firit 
and  lalt  breath  of  life  within  its  then  peaceful 
walls.  Every  heir  of  that  didinguimed  title 
had  fjgnalized  himfelf  by  deeds  of  unbounded 
munificence.  They  were  as  remarkable  for 
their  benevolence  and  kofpitality,  as  the  cour 
tiers  of  the  prefent  age  are  for  their  arrogance 
and  boundlefs  ambition.  At  THEIR  door,  ne 
ver  was  the  tale  of  woe  rejected,  nor  did  a 
petitioner  era  vein  vain.  The  wealthy  and  the 
indigent  were  equally  unknown ;  and  the 
hearts  and  purfes  of  thefe  noble  lords  were 
ever  open  to  the  tears  of  the  unhappy.  Tu 
obtain  their  protection,  it  wasneceffary  only  to 
folicit  it ;  for  no  guileful  wanderer  ever  bent 
his  way  to  the  happy  but  retired  caftie  of  Led- 
Itone. 


A    NOVEL.  5 

Many  centuries  had  paffedin  this  (late  of  blifs, 
when  time,  which  is  ever  working  miracles, 
(hitherco  fatal  to  mankind  !)  ftretched  the 
cloud  of  fate  over  this  humble  corner  of  England. 
The  loft  Earl  of  Huntingdon  died.  His  gener- 
ofity  had  over-reached  his  power,  and  his  ef- 
tates  were  involved.  That  of  Ledlione  was 
an  object  of  too  much  importance  to  be  aband 
oned  by  the  rapacious  creditors  ;  it  was  there 
fore  agreed  that  it  ihould  be  put  up  to  iale,  and 
parted  with  by  public  auction. 

A  gentleman,  the  fon  of  a  wealthy  in? reliant 
in  the  city,  was  the  higheft  bidder,  and  to  him 
was  that  property  configned.  He  was  a  young 
man,  not  poffeiled  of  very  mining  abilities,  who 
had  been  educated  at  Weftn-imfter-fchooi,  and 
was  thence  fent  to  Oxford.  But  ihidy  was 'ill 
adapted  to  his  tade  ;  he  left  both  thefe  places 
in  difguft,  and  prevailed  (but  not  without  diffi 
culty)  on  his  father,  to  fuffer  him  to  pafs  two 
or  three  years  on  the  continent,  by  way  of 
giving  a  fiaiih  to  his  education. 

It  was  foon  after  his  return  to  England,  that 
he  determined  to  marry,  but  he  had  frequently 
the  mortification  to  find  hispropoials  rejected. 
Money  was  no  object  to  him,  as  he  was  fure  to 
inherit,  on  the  death  of  his  father,  a  confider- 
able.  fortune  ;  but  he  wiihed  to  ennoble  his 
name,  hitherto  beft.  known  upon  'Change,  and 
was  at  lenght  fortunate  enough  to  fucceed  in  his 
addreiTes,  with  the  only  daughter  of  a  new- 
created  Irifh  peer,  who  .Lad  b^en  luccefsful  in 
his  claim  to  the  tide  of  his  ancestors,  and  whofe 
greatefl  ad  vantage  was  her  title. 

A3 


6  THE     C  Q  N  T  R  A  S  T. 

It  was  foon  after  this  marriage  took  placef 
that  he  became  the  purchafer  of  Leditone^ 
\vhlch  he  knew  only  by  report,  having  never 
viiited  the  Weft  of  England.'  In  London, 
Lady  Jane  was  *  equally  a  Aranger.  She  had 
paffed  her  life  in  Dublin  but  remained  unnotic 
ed  there  until  her  father  was  created  an  Earl. 
They  let  out  for  London  too  foon  afterwards 
for  her  to  fix  her  choice  among  her  old  acquaint 
ance,  who  were  many  of  them  at  length  be 
et)  rue  her  new  admirers. 

Mr.  James  Martindale  was  the  firft  monied 
man  who  foliated  the  hand  of  Lady  Jane  ;  and 
to  his  fortune,  more  than  to  himfelf,  was  ihe 
immediately  devoted* 


C    H    A    P      II. 


MR.  Martindale  hired  a  ready -furniftied- 
houfe  in  the  vicinity  of  Portman-Square  ; 
and  on  the  fourth  of  June,  juft  five  weeks  after 
her  marriage,  Lady  Jane  Martindale  was 
prefented  at  St.  James's.  Her  perfun  was  ra 
ther  handfoine  than  other  wife,  and  it  was  on 
this  occafion  decorated  with  all  the  parapher 
nalia  of  birth-cay  magnificence.  To  be  admi 
red,  it  was  necelfary  only  that  (he  ihould  be 
jeeri  ;  and  to  her,  the  knee  of  adulation  was 

foon  bent.     The  Earl  of  C ,  on  whom 

the  feiters  of  matrimony    fat  lightly,  was  het 


A    N  O  V  E  L  ? 

devoted  (lave  for  the  evening  ;  and  her  eyes 
received  an  additional  portion  of  brilliancy,  as 
her  conquefts  became  multiplied. 

In  Mr.  M?rtindale's  bofom  very-  different 
\vere  the  fenfations  which  arofe  on  that  oceaii- 
on.  He  gazed  on  the  beauties  of  his  wife,  and 
his  vanity  was  flattered  by  their  effect  ,  but  hi& 
heart  trembled  as  he  vie  wed  her,  and  the  pangs 
of  jealoufy  racked  his  foul.  He  endeavoured  to 
appear  regardlefs  of  the  admiration  he  faw  la- 
vilhed  on  her  ;  but  by  degrees  he  drew  nearer 
to  the  door  of  the  antechamber,  and  their  wait 
ed  with  anxiety  the  hour  ©f  twelve,  at  which 
time  his  fervants  and  equipage  \vere  ordered 
to  attend. 

As  foon  as  their  arrival  was  announced,  Mr, 
Martindale  hurried  Lady  Jane  out  of  the 
room,  and  attempted  to  put  on  her  cloak^ 
which  a  footman  had  given  into  his  hands. 

But  Lord  C diiputed    with  him    this 

office,  and  the  rules  of  good  breeding  obliged 
the  hufband  to  relinquilli  it.  Yet  he  could  nor 
avoid  perceiving  a  ilgnificant  look,  and  a 
Iqueeze  of  the  hand,  which  each  bellowed  on 

the  other,  as  Lord  C — Handed  Lady 

Jane  to  her  carriage  ;  and  this  was,  t&^a— weak 
mind,  almoft  proof  pofirive  of  their  guilt.  But 
in  this  idea  he  y/as  wholly  mittaken  :  Lord 

C — had  not  entertained   an    idea  beyond 

the  amufement  of  the  prefent  hour,  and  Lady 
Jane  faw  nothing  in  the  emaciated  peer  that 
could  .poffibiy  turn  her  thoughts  towards  him 
on  the  fueceeding  one. 


3  THE     CONTRAST: 

The  time  now  arrived  when  every  fafhiona- 
ble  family  prepared  to  leave  town.  Lady, Jane 
had  already  made  the  acquit!  tion  of  numberlefs 
acquaintance,  but  her  heart  had  not  ielecled  a 
friend.  It  was  almoft  a  matter  of  indifference 
to  her  whether  ihe  went,  and  to  her  hufband's 
inclinations  ihe  appeared  willing  to  accede. 

Mr.  Martindale's  determination  was  to  go  to 
Leditone  ;  but  when  ihe  heard  of  its  feclufton, 
her  heart  recoiled  at  the  idea,  and  ihe  reqi=eft- 
ed  his  approbation  of  a  prior  excuriion  to  Wey- 
mouth  or  Briolithelmflone.  He  became  ho  we- 

c> 

ver  abfolute  in  his  intentions  ;  arid  as  her  father 
had  immediately  after  her  marriage  returned  to 
Ireland,  it  became  neceffary  for  her  to  draw 
fome  one  over  to  her  interefts  ;  neceility,  ra 
ther  than  choice,  directed  her  to  old  Mr.  Mar- 
tip-dale.  He  was  exactly  calculated  for  fuch 
an  employment.  He  had  been  in  his  younger 
days  a  general  admirer  of  pretty  women,  and 
the  charms  of  his  new  daughter-in-law  loft  no 
thing  in  his  opinion.  lie  perfectly  agreed 
with- her,  that  to  tranfplant  a  large  eftablifh- 
ment  into  the  defects  of  Cornwall,  would  be 
attended  with  a  heavy  expence,  befides  the 
probability  that  exifud  of  their  dilHking  the 
iituation,  and  fpeedily  returning.  Lady  Jane 
an-'  tin  ok4  g^nlemaa  haa  many  converfations 
on  the  li;L  ;e6t,  and  apreed  to  expoPaiiate  warm 
ly  >v  fvlartindale,  whom  however  they 
had  the  monirtcation  to  find  inexorable.  AD 
they  co.ild  obtain  was  a  few  days  vielay,  and  a 
pr or1. rife  thai  heu;  ftay  iu  ihe  country  ihou-ki 
not  exceed  fix  mouths* 


A    NOVEL 


CHAP.      Ill 


IN  a  few  days,  part  of  Mr.  Martindale^  re 
tinue  fet  forward  on  their  journey  into  the 
Weft.  Thefe  confifted  of  her  Ladyfhip's  un- 
tlerwoman,  who  was,  during  this  funrmer 
campaign,  to  act  alfo  in  the  capacity  of  houfe- 
keeper  ; — a  French  vaiet ; — a  French  cook  ;-*- 
a  running  footman,  and  three  or  four  more. 
Every  thing  was  there  in  readinefs  for  the 
reception  of  thefe  nobel  and  novel  gnefts  ;  for 
the  caftle  was  inhabited  by  an  old  fteward  and: 
his  family,  whom  the  late  Earl  of  Huntingdon 
had  Rationed  in  it  ;  and  as  they  had  never  re 
ceived  notice  to  quit  the  premiffesy  rhey  full 
enjoyed,  in  fome  of  the  rooms  at  the  end  of  itr 
peacable  and  quite  poffelfton*. 

When  thefe  imitators  of  greatnefs  pafled 
through  the  village  of  Birtland,  they  were 
ftruck  with  the  appearance  of  its  humble  inha 
bitants;  who,  xniftaking  them  for  their  fuper— 
iors,  crowded  forth  to  bid  them  welcome.  The 
bells,  though  few  in  number,  echoed  thefe. 
warm  plaudits  of  the  heart  ;  and  every  tenant, 
with  uplifted"  eyes,  prayed  Heaven  to  blefs 
them  ! 

Stunned  with  applaufes  for  which  they  were 
unprepared,  and  which  they  did  not  rightly 


10          THE     CONTRAST: 

comprehend,  they  anfwered  only  by  a  loud 
laugh;  and  arriving  at  the  caftle,  where  they 
ibon  made  themfelves  known,  were  received 
with  humble  civility  by  the  worthy  fteward 
his  wife,  and  daughter. 

Mrs.  Drapery  could  not  help  fhuddering  as 
ihe  pafied  through  the  fpacious  hall  .which  led 
to  the  inhabited  p^rt  6f  the  ca; tie,.  Th-e-  mafly 
door  clofed  with  a  tremendous  noife';  it  re- 
founded  through  tbe  vaulted  roof,  a^d  petrified 
her  with  honor.  On  the  high  arched  win 
dows  of  painted  glafs,  were  banded  down  to 
pofterity  the  emblazoned  arms  of  the  newly 
expired  title  of  Huntingdon  ;  and  the  unwieldy 
armour  which  had  formerly  defended  the  lives 
of  its  illuihious  wearers,  now  'hanging  up  and 
neglected,  borrowed  a  faint  light  from  the 
feeble  glimmerings  of  the  moon,  fcarcely  feen 
enough  to  ^e  obferved  through  the  heavy 
cafe  men  t. 

She  requeued  to  be  (hewn  to  the  appartment 
allotted  her,  where  ihe  gave  orders  that  her 
fellow-tarvellers  fhould  attend.  She  exprelied 
to  them  the  greateft  difguitat  every  thing  ihe 
fawr  and  the  utter  impoifibiiity  there  was  of 
her  being,  ever  able  to  accuftom  herfelf  among 
fuch  Hottentots.  "  She  was  fure,"  ihe  faid, 
u  that  ail  Mr.  Martindale's  money  would  be 
*'  but  a  poor  compeafation,  if  Lady  Jane  was 
44  to  linger  away  the  bell:  part  of  her  life  in  fuch 
44  an  odious  retirement.  She  wondered  how 
u  he  could  think  of  bringing  an  Earl's  daugh- 
44  ter  to  fuch  a  horrible  diftance  from  every 


A    NOVEL.  it 

£*  thing  alive.  For  HER  part,  {he  was  fure 
"  SHE  could  not  (lay  there,  and  fhe  hoped  to 
"  find  that  her  Lady  would  loon  be  of  the 
4i  fame  opinion." 

In  lefs  r:han  a  week,  Lady  Jane  and  Mr, 
Martindale  arrived  at  Ledftone.  When  the 
loquacious  Mrs.  Drapery  faw  the  butler  (to 
whom  fhe  was  by  do  means  averfe),  ihc  allured 
him,  that  if  fhe  had  not  been  certain  of  HIS 
corning  down,  fhe  could  not  have  prevailed  on 
hepfelf  to  remain  there  a  day  after  me  had  deli 
vered  up  her  charge  to  her  Lady ;  for  that  the 
place  was  a  defcrt,  and  the  evening  winds 
were  fo  rough,  that  fne  already  found  her  con- 
ititution  DAM  AGED  by  them;  and  it  was  be 
come  abfolutely  neceiTary  for  her  to  return  to 
London,  were  it  only  for  the  benefit  of  her 
health. 

Lady  Jane  and  Mr.  Martindale,  who  faw 
nothing  in  their  new  habitation  otherwife  than 
they  had  expected  to  find  it,  pafled  feveral  days 
in  viliting  the  cattle  and  its  environs.  Lady 
Jane  was  particularly  attentive  to  the  narations 
of  the  old  ftevvard,  who  not  unfrequently  rub 
bed  his  hand  acrofs  his  eyes,  as  he  dwelt  on  the 
praifes  of  his  late-loved  Lord.  In  a  fnaall  clo- 
fet  adjoining  the  hall,  of  which  he  had  entreat 
ed  to  keep  the  key,  he  was  wont  to  review  and 
admire  the  tattered  robes  in  which  Henry  third 
Earl  of  Huntingdon  fat  in  judgment  on  the  trial 
of  the  charming  and  unfortunate  Mary  Queen 
of  Scots.  Thefe  he  fliewed  Lady  Jane,  la 
menting  forely  the  day,  that,  iu  depriving  the 


i£         THE    CONTRAST: 

county  of  its    FIRST  ornament,  robbed  HIM  of 
his  beft  friend — HJS  ONLY  BENEFACTOR. 


€    HAP.        IV, 


TH  E  mind  of  Lady  Jane  was  by  nature 
fufceptible  of  tender  fentiments,  and  of 
foft  impreffions  ;  yet  her  heart  was  as  un-confci- 
ous  of  their  primitive  fource,  as  of  their  fubfe- 
<juent  confequence  ;  and  me  had  hitherto  be 
held  everyone  with  general  indifference.  She 
however  poileffed  an  immoderate  degree  of 
pride  and  oftentation,  and  was  emulous  to  out 
vie  all  who  dared  afpire  to  equality  with  her ; 
afTuming  a  forbidding  air  of  loftinefs,  which 
often  offended  the  focieties  (he  lived  in.  But, 
over-ruled  at  length  by  the  recollection  of  the 
more  exemplary  conduct  of  fome  of  the  amiable 
part  of  her  female  acquaintance  in  London,  and 
elfewhere,  me  in  fome  meafure  conquered  that 
difagreeable  HAUTEUR;  and  the  tender  and 
growing  impulfe  of  nature  beginning  to  infpire 
her  with  ideas  more  confonant  to  the  texture  of 
her  difpofition ,  ihe  became  thoughtful ,  and  rather 
melancholy  ;  deriving  her  chief  pleafure  from 
wandering  in  unfrequented  paths,  and  ex 
ploring  and  forcing  tracks  through  the  mazy 
and  moft  intricate  parts  of  the  foreft,  which  lay 
st  a  fmall  diftance  from  the  park* 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  13 

In  one  of  thefe  folitary  perambulations, 
chance  had  directed  her  fteps  to  the  ruins  of  a 
very  ancient,  and  once  capacious  tower.,  fituate 
on  the  i'u mi t  of  a  ftupendious  cliff.  Thence  (he 
could  obferve,  with  the  help  of  a  fmall  telefcope 
'  which  ihe  carried  in  her  pocket,  the  various 
obje&s  which  the  ocean  continually  prefented 
to  her  view,  and  which  with  their  novelty  and 
variety  together,  became  every  day  more  pleaf- 
ing  and  interefting  to  her  fancy. 

Mr.  Martindale  rofe  one  morning  early  in 
the  month  of  September,  before  his  ufual  hour, 
to  take  the  diverfion  of  ihooting ;  his  game 
keeper  having  apprized  him  the  preceding  even 
ing  of  a  covey  of  partridges  which  frequented 
.a  wheat-ftubble  near  a  pleafure-ground  adjoin 
ing  the  park ;  not  that  Mr.  Martindale  difco- 
vered  any  more  eujoyment  in  the  purfuit  of  ru 
ral  pleafures,  than  did  his  lady  ;  but  his  time 
hanging  rather  heavy  on  his  hands,  and  as  me 
did  not  permit  him  to  beguile  any  part  of  it  in 
ailbciating  with  thofe  whom  her  own  choice  had 
not  approved,  and  pointed  out  as  proper  com 
panions  for  him,  he  was  obliged  to  feek  amufe- 
ment  in  queft  of  pleafui  es  which  nature  had  not 
given  him  either  tafte  or  inclination  to  enjoy. 

Lady  Jane  had  rifen  at  her  ufual  hour,  and 
\vas  preparing  for  breakfaft,  when  Mr.  Mar 
tindale  tired  of  his  vifionary  fcheme  of  pleafure, 
returned  heartily  fatigued  in  the  purfuit  of  it. 

The  moment  they  had  enjoyed  their  early 
repaft,  Lady  Jane  wi:h  eager  fteps  precipitate 
B 


I4        THE     CONTRAST: 

ly  bent  her  way  to  her  much-favoured  fpot ; 
which  fhe  had  no  fooner  afcended,  than  me  hir 
jttantly  difcovered  through  her  glafs  a  fmall 
boat  making  for  the  fhore  ;  and  excited  by  cu- 
riofity,  ilie  advanced  with  deliberate  attention 
down  the  faiidy  beach,  towards  the  edge  of  the 
water.  As  the  boat  approached  nearer  her 
view,  fhe  thought  ihe  perceived  in  it  five  per- 
fons,  together  with  fome  calks  which  they  had 
flowed,'  and  piled  up  in  a  regular  pyramid,  in 
the  item  of  their  little  bark.  The  tide  having 
recently  laved,  and  now  retired  from,  its  bea- 
chy  limits,  had  caufed  the  fand  under  foot  to 
be  exceedingly  wet;  and  what  would  have 
wonderfully  terrified  Lady  Jane  at  any  other 
time,  and  on  any  other  occafion,  now  Simu 
lated  her  boldly  to  venture  on  ;  and  ihe  walked, 
or  rather  waded,  almott  knee-deep  in  the  briny 
ocean,  till  ihe  came  within  reach  of  the  float 
ing  objects  which  ihe  had  fir  ft  difcovered  ;  but 
having  left  her  glafs  within  the  tower,  ihe 
could  fcarcely  di(tinguiih  of  what  fex  or  age 
the  pet fons  were,  until  they  approached 
nearer. 

They  were  foon  fecurely  landed  in  a  place 
where  fhe  had  not  been  accuftomed  to  meet 
with  human  beings  (fhe  having  dedicated  this 
deferred  fpot  to  folitude,  and  her  own  reflecti 
ons)  ;  and  the  unexpected  fight  our  mariners 
experienced  of  a  beautiful  and  elegant  female, 
who  Teemed  to  be  loft  in  aftonifhment,  could 
not  fail  to  excite  in  them  an  equal  degree  of 
furprife.  After  fome  little  converfation,  they 
to  be  informed  of  the  neareft  town; 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  15 

of  village ;  having  come,  they  faid,  on  fhore 
for  the  ptirpoie  of  procuring  frelh  water  for 
their  veffel,  a  fmall  brig,  bound  from  Green- 
ock  to  London,  which  lay  at  anchor  at  the  dif- 
tance  of  about  two  leagues. 

The  perfon  who  chiefly  addrefled  himfelf  to 
Lady  Jane,  appeared  to  be  a  military  man,  a- 
bont  fifty  years  of  age.  He  had  a  complacency 
of  manner  which  indicated  the  gentleman  ;  his 
countenance  beaming  thas  ineiFable  Iweetneis 
which  generally  befpeaks  the  mind  at  eafe. 
This  gentleman  introduced  to  her  his  friend 
who  accompanied  him  (the  other  three  were 
failors,  buiily  employed  in  lalhkig  the  boat  to 
the  remains  of  what  had  formerly  been  a  lighr- 
houfe.)  The  drefs  of  the  latter,  \vhowas  ma 
ny  years  younger,  denoted  him  a  Highlander  ; 
and  the  gracefulnefs  of  his  mein  inftantly  carght 
the  attention  of  Lady  Jane.  She  invited  them 
both  to  the  caftle,  and  promifed  to  fend  ier- 
vants  thence  to  render  their  men  and  boat  e- 
very  affiitance  their  iituation  required. 

This  propofal  they  thankfully  accepted  ;  and 
inwardly  congratulated  themfelvcs  on  the  no 
vel  and  ftrarige  adventure  \vich  \vhich  chance 
had  ib  far  favoured  them. 


B 


t.6         THE     CONTRAST: 


C     H     A    P.        V, 


ON  their  arrival  at  the  cattle  refreshments 
of  every  kind  were  by  Lady  Jane's  order 
fee  before  her  guefts.  She  enquired  for  Mr. 
Martiridale,  but  was  informed  by  the  butler 
that  he  was  gone  out  on  horfeback,  and  had 
left  orders  to  tell  her  ladyihip  that  he  ihould  re 
turn  to  dinner  by  five.  She  apologized  for  his 
abfence,  'and  entreated  them  to  relinquiili 
all  idea  of  going  back  to  their  veilel  with  the 
evening's  tide ;  obferving,  that  the  days  were 
row  ihort  and  clouded — the  nights  long  and 
dark  ;  and  fhe  farther  alleged,  that  their  igno 
rance  of  the  couft  might  lead  them  into  un 
avoidable  difficulties,  and  imminent  dangers, 
which  {he  would  by  no  means  advife  them  to 
encounter,  and  which  would  dirninilh  with  the 
return  of  day-light.  She  inwardly  wifhed  (but 
from  what  caufe  me  knew  not)  that  Mr.  Mar- 
tindale  ihould  fee  them,  and  approve  what  {he 
had  done.  She  felt  eager  to  juftify  her  con- 
dud  to  him,  perhaps  from  a  confcioufnefs  of 
felf-createduneaiineis  ihe  had  never  before  ex 
perienced.  Her  fluttering  heart  beat  high  with 
a  deli  re  of  ihe  knew  not  what ;  and  her  falter 
ing  tongue  feemed  almoft  deprived  of  utterance, 
as  her  eye,  involuntarily  and  conftantly  met 
thofe  of  the  young  and  accomplished  Caledoni 
an.  She  wiiucd,  fhe  (aid,  to  detain  them  till 


A    NOVEL.  17 

Mr.  Martndale's  return  ;  and  even  \vhen  he 
did  return,  ilie  feared  the  day  would  be  too 
far  fpent  for  them  to  hazard  with  fafety  the  at 
tempt  of  regaining  their  fhip  : — ihe  at  la(\  hint 
ed  to  the  elder  gentleman,  who  feemed  anxi 
ous  to  depart,  the  kind  of  impropriety  there 
would  be  in  their  going  away  without  feeing 
him.  This  obje&ion  had  fufficient  force,  to 
counter-balance,  in  their  minds,  every  other. 

Having  drawn  from  them  a  promife  fhe  too 
ardently  wiihed,  fhe  requeued  their  attendance 
in  the  park  and  gardens,  whither  they  cheer 
fully  con  fen  ted  to  accompany  her.  In  one  of 
the  walks  ihe  perceived  by  accident  that  her 
drefs  had  materially  fuffered  from  her  excurii- 
on  on  the  fands  ;  ihe  then  left  her  viiito-ss  to 
the  care  of  the  gardener,  whom  (he  directed  to 
point  out  to  them  every  object  worthy  their 
attention,  and  proceeded  tothecaitle  to  change 
her  clothes ;  defiring  the  gardener  to  re-con 
duct  the  gentlemen  there,  as  foon  as  their  curi- 
ofity  had  been  Efficiently  gratified. 

On  her  lapyfhip's  return  me  retired  to  her 
appartment,  and  ordered  her  woman's  atten 
dance  there.  The  article  of  drefs,  which  had 
been  neglected  fince  her  feclufion  in  the  coun 
try,  as  a  matter  of  indifference,  now  became 
an  object  of  importance.  Mrs.  Drapery  was 
one  of  :hofe  accommodating  abigails  who  are 
ever  ready  to  flatter  and  encourage  the  follies 
and  vices  of  their  employers,  and  ihe  neglected 
nouiiing  on  the  prefent  occafion  to  adorn  the 
perfon.  of  her  lady;  fignificamly  adding. 


:8          THE     CONTRAST: 

"  With    Vvhcit 'plea.fure   her  reader   would  be- 
,uUi  her  lady  [hi  p  at  his  return  home,  look- 
"J   i#g  o;. ce  more  LIKE  HER.SLLF  I" 

Before  the  etiquette  of  drefs  was  finally  ad- 
ji^ltd,  Mr.  Martindaie  entered  the  room  fome- 
wruu  abruptly  ;  having  been  informed  by  the 
fcrvants  of  his  new  vifitors,  and  wiihing,  pre 
vious  to  his  feeing  them,  to  know  of  Lady  Jane 
who  they  were,  and  what  were  the  motives 
that  had  thus  induced  them  to  take  up  their  re- 
liuence  in  his  houie. 

Lady  Jane  briefly  related  to  her  hulband  each 
circumilance  ;  contenting  herielf  with  obferv- 
ing,  that  although  ilie  had  not  enquired  their 
names,  Ihe  was  lure,  from  the  little  Ihe  had 
feen  of  them,  that  they  were  perfons  of  no  in 
ferior  rank  :  ihe  jultly  remarked  that  the  lasvs, 
of  hofpitality  were  of  themfelves  iufficient  to 
juftify  the  hafty  zeal  with  which  ihe  had  preff- 
ed  them  to  wait  his  return.  Jvlr.  Martindaie 
coincided  with  her  opinion,  and  left  her  to  do 
honour  to  his  guefts. 

As  focn  as  he  was  gone,  Mrs.  Drapery, 
finding  herfelf  emboldened  by  her  lady's  vilible 
enibarrairment  (which  together  with  the  atten 
tion  to  her  drefs  had  not  efcaped  her],  begged 
pardon  for  informing  her  ladymip,  that  ihe 
knew  perfectly  veil  who  the  gentlemen  were, 
having  enquired  of  the  Tailors,  who  had  fatisfi- 
ed  her  in  every  refpecl.  They  were  both,  ihe 
,  Scots.  The  old  gentleman,  whofe  .name 
was  Stuart^  had  been  many  years  Colonel  of 


A    NOVEL,  r^.. 

the  Mountaineers  ;  but  had  retired  from  the 
fervice  about  two  years.  His  lady  was  lately 
dead,  and  the  lofs  of  her  had  taken  fuch  an  e- 
effefton  his  mind,  that  he  had  refolved  to- tra 
vel  ;  and  a  fea  voyage  had  been  particularly 
recommended  to  him,  as  being  the  mo  ft  likely 
to  recruit  both  his  fpirits  and  his  health.  The. 
young  gentleman,  whole  name  was  Glsncairn^ 
was  diflantly  related  to  the  deceafed  Mrs.  Stu 
art,  who  had  one  only  child,  a  daughter,  now 
educating  in  a  convent  at  Calais.  She  was  to 
come  over  on  their  arrival  in  London,  and  to 
return  withjthem*  Mrs.  Drapery  indeed  FAN 
CIED,  but  it  was  only  her  own  conjecture, 
tliat  the  Colonel  had  thoughts  of  uniting  the 
young  couple  ;  as  the  young  gentleman  had  no 
other  reafon  for  coming  over,  than  that  o£ 
keeping  the  Colonel  company  ;  and  of  return 
ing  with  him  to  Scotland,  as  foon  as  Mils  Stu 
art  fiiould  have  joined  them.. 

Lady  Jane  was  not  fo  regardlefs  as  me  ap 
peared  to  be  of  the  information  given  by  her 
oliicious  waiting-woman.  She,  however,  af~ 
fmned  an  air  of  compofure  me  was  doomed  ne 
ver  more  to  feel,  and  with  hally  lieps  joined 
the  gentlemen  below, 


20          THE    CONTRAST; 


CHAP.      VI. 


COLONEL  Stuart  had  been  in  the 
mean  time  equally  communicative  to  Mr, 
Martindale  ;  he  had  coniidered-  it  as  incum 
bent  on  him  to  introduce  hiinfelf  and  friend  to 
his  acquaintance;  Mr.  Martindale,  fcon  after 
Lady  Jane's  appearance,  retired  to  his  dreiT- 
ing-room,  whence  he  fent  to  reqneft  her  at 
tendance  for  a  few  minutes  ;  when  he  inform 
ed  her,  that  ihe  was  not  miftaken  in  the  fa 
vourable  opinion  Ihe  had  entertained  of  the 
ftrangers  ;  and  proceeded  to  tell  her  all  with 
which  Colonel  Stuart  had  made  him  acquaint 
ed.  She  did  not  think  it  necelTary  to  mention 
to  him  the  cenverfation  me  had  held  with  her 
maid  ;  but  pretended  to  liflen  with  curiolity  to 
what  he  related  ;  which  differed  in  nothing 
more  than  his  filence  on  the  fbbjcct  of  Mils 
Stuart,  who  ihe  naturally  concluded  had  not 
been  mentioned. 

Lady  Jane  returned  to  the  ialoon,  where 
{he  fnrpiifed  Glen  cairn,  drawiri'g  founds  of 
fweeteft  melody  frc  u\  Mr  Martindale's  flute7 
wb:ch  lay  on  th-  table.  He  laid  it  down  when, 
flic  appea  cci,  buf  by  her  deiire  to-,k  it  up  a- 
gain,  ad  playedoiice  more,  at  Coioucl  Stuart's 
reqneit, 

I  wifn  I  was  \vhereJielen  lies  ! 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  ±i 

in  a  manner  fo  peculiarly  his  own,  that  Lady 
Jane,  for  the  fir  ft  time  in  her  life,  felt  the 
power  of  mufic  over  a  fufceptible  mind.  She 
was  at  that  moment  alive  to  the  nioft  tender 
fenfations  ;  her  foul  vibrated  to  the  touch,  and 
ihe  felt  a  pang  of  exquiiite  enthufiafm. 

He  eeafed  ; — and  her   eyes   more    ex- 

prelftve  than  her  tongue,  foiicited  his  conniv 
ance.  He  fmiled  confent,  and  then  play 
ed 

Abfence  ne'er  mall  alter  me. 

The  words  funk  deep  into  her  heart ;  her  fine 
eyes  gliftened  ; — and  ihe  had  but  juft  tim  g  to 
turn  them  on  Colonel  Stuart,  as  Mr.  Martin- 
dale  entered  the  room. 

The  converfation  became  general,  and  din 
ner  was  announced.  It  was  a  domeftic  party, 
and  Lady  Jane  being  witbout  a  female  friend, 
had  no  excufe  to  leave  the  room  when  it  was 
over.  Mr.  Martindale  and  the  Colonel  enter 
ed  into  a  long  converfation  ;  and  the  old  war*- 
rior-feeming  for  a  moment  to  forget  hb  griefs, 
gloried  as  he  recounted  his  former  exploits* 

Tea,  and  lefs  interefting  airs  on  the  flute 
beguiled  the  remainder  of  the  evening  ;  and  an 
early  fupper  was  ordered,  as  our  vilitors  were 
vinder  the  neceih'ty  of  departing  by  day-break* 
Lady  Jane  gave  orders  that  coffee  IhoiJd  be 
prepared  for  them,  and  after  an  hour  or  two 
paned  in  fotial  delight,  they  reciprocally  bade 
adieu. 


22  *HE     CONTRAST: 

The  Colonel  exprefTed  to  Mr.  Martiridalc 
his  wiih  of  meeting  with  him  in  town;  but 
faid  that  as  he  might  not  be  appriied  of  the 
time  wheu  the  Ledftone  family  arrived  there  ; 
and  as  he  was  'piorant  alfoin  what  part  of  it 
he  ihould  fix  his  ihortaDode,  he  begged  ofMr- 
Martindaie  to  take  the  trouble  to  enquire  after 

him  at  the  Ducheis    of  G 's  in  St.  Jame's 

Square,  v  ho  would  be  able  to  afcertain  whe 
ther  he  ftill  remained  an  inhabitant  of  London, 
or  was  returned  (which  was  more  likely)  to  the 
iequeitered  mountains  of  Scotland. 

Lady  Jane  had  no  fooncr  retired  into  her 
dreifing-room,  than  ihe  gave  orders  to  Mrs, 
Drapery  (who,  as  I  before  ohferved,  now 
acted  in  the  double  capacity  of  her  woman  and 
honfe-keeper)  to  rife  at  a  very  early  honr,  that 
nothing  might  be  wanting  to  complete  the  ele 
gant  hofpitality  the  ftrangers  had  experienced 
at  Ledftone.  She  retired  to  bed,  but  did  jhe 
retire  to  reft?- — Ah-,  no  !— The  image  of 
Glencairn  was  before  her  ;  ihe  pretended 
drowfmefs,  and  in  fecret  lilence  wept  her  cares 
to  ileep.  Mr.  Marti  ndale,  fatigued  by  the 
exercife  and  events  of  the  day,  and  unconfcious 
of  the  thorns  of  difcontent  which  invincible 
fcovE  h^d  ftrewed  over  his  wife's  pillow, 

Snor'd  out  the  watch  of  night. 

Lady  Jane  liftened  at  day  break,  but  ihe 
heard  nothing.  All  was  hufhed  in  profoiA 
iiience.  They  had  departed  an  hovr  before 
their  appointed  time  :  but  they  had  not  efcaped 


A    N  O  V  E  L,  y$ 

the  anxious  vigilance  of  Mrs.  Drapery ;  who 
fearful  of  offending  her  lady  by  not  feeing  them? 
and  fearful  alfo,  .of  her  own  weaknefs  mould 
file  tfuiVherlelf  to  deep,  had  prevailed  on  her 
friend  the  butler  to  pafs  the  intermediate  time 
with  her  in  the  houfe-keeper's  room,  over  a 
comfortable  bottle  of  madeira,  which  he  was  to 
provide  from  the  cellar  as  foon  as  the  family 
was  retired  to  reft. 

Mrs.  Drapery,  though  a  keen  woman,  was 
by  no  means  dettitute  of  female  weaknefs  :  fhe 
repofed  an  ^implicit  .confidence  in  the  butler, 
and  at  once  informed  him  of  her  fulpicions  re 
lative  to  her  lady,  and  the  young  gentleman  ; 
who  (ihe  muft  oblerve)  was  of  a  figure  to  cap 
tivate  any  la.dy's  heart,  She  did  not  know 
(or  had  not  fenfe  enough  to  find  out)  that  Mr. 
Qldfon,  the  Jbutler,  was  warmly  in  his  matter's 
intereft ;  not  from  any  rafli  confidence  that 
hitherto  infenfible  mafter  had  repofed  in  him, 
but  from  a  fenfe  of  the  lucrative  place  he  en 
joyed.  Mr.  Oldfon  therefore  made  few  com 
ments  on  her  obfervations,  'but  treafured  tip  in 
his  mind  every  cireumftance  that  might  lead 
hereafter  to  a  farther  afcendancy  over  Mr» 
Martindale  ;  as  he  had  already  prevailed  on, 
him  in  many  trivial  occurrences,  which  had 
turned  out  in  the  end  to  his  own  advantage. 

Soon  after  the  bottle  of  madeira  was  ex- 
haufted,  Mrs.  Drapery  told  him  (lie  heard  a 
noife  ;  but  ihe  fuppofed  it  to  be  too  early  for 
the  Grangers  to  be  thinking  of  their  departure. 
She  however  liftened^  and  heard  it  repeated  j 


24  THE     CONTRAST: 

it  was,  'flie  faicl,  the  found  of  feet  gently  mo** 
ving  down  the  great  ftair-caie.  Mr.  Oldfon 
liftened,  but  heard  nothing.  Mrs.  Drapery 
ftill  pertifted  that  ihe  DID  hear  a  noife  ;  and  as 
ihe  had  encouraged  the  idea  of  ghofts  haunting 
the  caftle,  ihe  requeued  Mr.  Oldfon  to  accom 
pany  her  up  the  ftair-cafe  leading  from  her 
room;  at  the  top  of  which  they  faw  our  five 
travellers  ready  to  depart.  Mrs.  Drapery's 
eyes  inftantly  fixed  on  thofe  of  Glencairn  ;  who 
anfweredthem  by  a  fign  that  he  had  fomething 
to  communicate.  It  was  eafy  for  her  to  turn 
Mr.  Oldfon's  attention  to  the  other,  while  ihe 
privately  received  from  his  hands  a  guinea,  and 
a  flip  of  paper  carefully  folded  and  fealed. 
Thefe  ihe  immediately  conveyed  to  her  pocket, 
while  Mr.  Oldfon  was  making  his  bow  to  the 
Colonel,  in  acknowledgement  of  what  he  had 
from  a  very  different  motive  conveyed  to 


Mrs.  Drapery  and  Mr.  Oldfon  faw  the  tra 
vellers  depart,  and  then  retired  to  their  re- 
fpe&ive  rooms.  The  former  cautioufly  placed 
her  pockets  under  her  head,  as  fearful  that  her 
fecret  mould  be  difcovered,  and  by  that  means 
the  confidence  of  her  lady  be  loft  for  ever. 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  0.5 


C     HAP.       VII. 


IT  was  not  difficult  for  Mrs.  Drapery  to 
underhand  the  ufe  it  was  intended  foe  fhouici 
make  of  both  the  objects  flie  had  received;  yet 
the  was  not  fufficiently  miftrefs  of  her  lady's 
thoughts  to  hazard  a  forward  avowal  of  her 
conducl  in  receiving  them.  When  ihe  attend 
ed  Lady  Jane  in  the  morning,  fhe  could  not  a- 
void  perceiving  that  fhe  had  been  in  tears  ;  arid 
ihe  prefumed  to  enquire  with  evident  fymp- 
toms  of  affection,  if  her  ladyjklp  ivas  un*vjdl  ? 
At  this  unexpected  queitioc ,  Lady  Jane  gave 
vent  to  her  full  heart,  and  ftrove  not  to  con 
ceal  her  emotion.  She  imprudently  leaned  on 
her  woman's  bofom,  and,  in  apparent  agony, 
afked  whether  the  gentlemen  were  gone,  and 
if  fhe  had  feen  them  ?  Mrs.  Dupery  told  her 
that  they  were  ;  and  that  me  had  attended 
them  according  to  her  ladyihip's  order.  She 
drew  by  degrees  the  letter  out  of  her  pocket, 
and  entreated  her  ladyihip's  pardon  for  ;the 
liberty  ihe  took  in  offering  it  to  her  -perufaj. 
She  airiired  her  that  Ihe  had  no  time  to  return 
it  after  it  had  been  put  into  her  haacls  ;  and 
that  pity  for  the  poor  young  gentleman's  ifor- 
row  at  his  departure  had  afterwards  induced 
her  to  lecrete  it,,  until  flie  might  fee  hiin  r 
gain. 


2.6  THE     €  O.  N  T  R  A  S  T : 

Lady  Jane  took  the  letter  with  Teeming  re- 
luftance,  arid  found  it  tp  contain  the  following 
words  : 

"  Be  not  offended,  Madam,  at  the  prefumpr 

4  tion  of  a    ftranger,  who  till  he  faw  you, 

"  Kever dreamt  of  love.     His  profound  refpecl 

4    for  your  name  and    chara&er  will    condemn 

c     him  to  mifery    and   future   filence  ;  and   he 

would  not  have  hazarded  this  liberty,  had  he 

not  read  in  your  eyes  an  .expreffion    of  ten- 

dernefs  which    they  have   too  furely,  and 

1  probably  too    fatally,  convej'ed  to  the  del- 

c  ponding  heart  of 

"EDWARD  GLENCAIRN.'* 

Lady  Jane  trembled  as  flie  read  the  letter, 
Y/hich  ihe  immediately  conveyed  into  her  pock 
et,  and  Mrs.  Drapery  delighted  in  the  fuccefs 
of  her  undertaking  ;  for  although  me  felt  that 
ciiftom,  and  the  laws  of  decency,  would  re 
quire  that  ihe  mould  maintain  her  place  as  a 
fervile  dependant,  fhe  from  this  moment  confi- 
dered  herfelf  the  boforn  friend  of  her  lady  ;  and 
exulting  in  what  had  parted,  began  to  fuppofe 
herfeif  the  appointed  and  convenient  confidante 
of  every  future  ad:ion  of  her  life. 

From  this  unhappy  period,  ihe  began  to  ex 
ert  the  influence  me  had  obtained  over  the 
mind  of  her  hitherto  fpotlefs  lady  ; .  and  avail 
ing  herfeif  of  an  ad  vantage  common  to  low 
minds,  did  not  fail  NOW  AND  THEN  to  remind 
her,  by  a  gentle  hint,  that  ihe  was  in  her 
power.  Lady  Jane's  youth,  and  ignorance  of 
the  world,  induced  her  to  be  filent  where  ihe 
might  have  bsen  allowed  to  complain  ;  but 


A    NOVEL.  .  27 

her  timid  foul  as  apprehenfwe  of  the  injurious 
con  ftr  nation  her  huiband  might  put  on  the  ad 
venture,  and  fhe  refolved  to  fuller  in  filence. 
She  had  no  wilh.  no  intention  to  deceive  him  ; 
yet- me  fighed  as  ihe  reflected  on  the  merits 
of  Glencairn,-  whom  fhe  defpaired  of  feeing 
more. 

We  will  now  return  to  our  mariners.  They 
had  a  tedious  and  rather  perilous  pailage  to 
London,  where  they  landed  in  three  \veeks. 
Colonel  Stuart's  firft  care  was  to  difpatch  a 
meffenger  to  a  mercantile  houfe  hi  the  city, 
whether  his  letters  were  addreiied.  He  re 
ceived  one  from  Mils  Stuart,  earneilly  requeft- 
ing  him  to  go  to  her.  She  informed  him  that 
her  health  had  been  for  fome  months  gradually 
declining  ;  but  that  file  had  hitherto  avoided 
mentioning  that  circuvuitance  to  him,  waiting 
till  fhe  heard  of  his  arrival  in  London  ;  siicd^- 
ing,  that  fhe  was  fufficiently  acquainted  with 
his  feelings,  ta  be  convinced  that  had  he 
known  her  fituation  fooner,  he  would  have 
haftened  his  journey  from'  Scotland,  probably 
to  the  prejudice  both  of  his  health  and  conven 
ience. 

Colonel  Stuart  had  not  feen  his  daughter 
fmce  her  mother's  death,  as  (he  had  beea  near 
four  years  at  Calais,  He  fpoke  of  her  feidoni; 
but  his  thoughts  often  dwelt  with  rapture  on. 
the  idea  of  once  more  folding  his  treafure  to 
his  heart,  and  retracing  ia  her  growing  fea 
tures  the  refemblance  of  his  loft  and  laruented 
wife  I  Alas  !  what  were  the  fenfations  he  ex- 


28  THE     CONTRAST: 

per  ienced  at  the  perufal  of  her  fata!  letter  !  It 
was  a  deep  iVab  to  his  wounded  mind,  and  it 
became  necefiary  for  him  to  call  religion  and 
renfon  to  his  aid,  to  prevent  him  from  immedi 
ately  linking  under  the  weight  of  it. 

All  that  friendship  could  fugged — all  that 
the  moft  tender  fympathy  could  invent,  were 
on  this  trying  occafion  warmly  exerted  by  the 
amiable  Giencairn  towards  his  unhappy  friend. 
He  urged  the  pollibility  of  Mifs  Stuart's  being 
too  eaiily  alarmed  about  herfelf ;  that  the  me 
lancholy  infeparable  from  a  monaftic  life  had 
probably  induced  her  to  give  way  to  ideas  which 
derived  their  principle  origin  from  her  feclu.fi- 
on  ; — that  the-moft  effectual  means  to  be  em 
ployed  towards  promoting  her  recovery,  were 
to  amnfe  her  mind  ;  which  had  fcarcely  began 
to  unfold  itfelf,  ere  the  event  of  her  mother's 
death,  and  her  father's  fiibfequent  correfpon- 
dence,  ftamped  an  impreffion  on  it,  that  time, 
and  a  more  fait  able  way  of  life,  xvould  be  (in 
Ins  opinion)  alone  capable  to  efface. 

The  voice  of  confolation  infenfibly  gained 
upon  the  Colonel  ;  his  misfortunes  grew  ligh 
ter  as  he  liftened  to  the  advice  of  his  friend  ; 
his  heart  in  a  few  hours  recovered  in  forne 
nieafure  its  former  ferenity  ;  and  inftead  of 
wailing  time  in  deploring  the  evil  that  threat 
ened  him,  he  endeavoured  to  avert  it  by  han> 
euing  to  join  and  cheriih  her,  who,  fmce  the 
death  of  his  wife,  ieemed  doubly  entitled  to  his 
rare  and  protection. 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  29 


CHAP.       VIII. 


NOTHING  material  occurred  during 
their  journey  to  Calais;  but  Glencairn, 
to  whom  every  object  was  new,  was  furprifed 
at  the  different  fcenes  thatprefentedthemielves. 
Often,  however,  did  his  imagination  retrace 
the  image  of  Lady  Jane  Martindale  ;  ihe  was 
the  fidt  woman  he  had  ever  beheld  with  emo 
tion,  and  her  expreflive  looks  had  taught  him 
to  believe  that  he  was  not  indifferent  to  her. 
He  lamented  both  the  caufe  and  it*  effect,  that 
bad,  by  preventing  their  continuing  in  Lon 
don,  deprived  him  of  being  prefented  at  the 
Duchefs  of  G 's,  where  he  could  ob 
tain  the  only  chance  of  the  Colonel'shearing  of, 
or  feeing,  Mr.  Martindale.  But  thefe  reflec 
tions  he  was  obliged  to  conceal  ;  shey  remain 
ed  with-. his  fecret  buried  in  his  heart-  and  he 
-was  under  too  many  obligations  to  the  Colonel 
not  co  endeavour  (at  leaft)  to  fnppreis  them. 

When  they  landed  at  Calais,  and  had  reach 
ed  Monfiur  Deilin's  hotel  there,  Colonel  Stu 
art  found  himfelf  fatigued  and  agitated  by 
his  journey.  He  requeued  Glencairn  to  go 
immediately  to  the  convent,  with  a  note  from 
Ivim  to  the  fuperior,  defiring  her  to  fend  Mifs 
Smart,  with  the  bearer,  his  friend.  Glen 
cairn  had  formerly  feen  her;  but  it  was  dur- 

£3, 


30  THE     CONTRAST: 

ing  thofe  days  of  infancy  on  either  fide,  that 
had  left  but  few  traces  behind  them.  He  de 
livered  his  letter  at  the  crate  of  the  convent, 
aad  -was.  conduced  to  the  parlour,  on  one 
fide  of  which,  was  a  large  grate  ;  and  on 
the  other  iide,  a  curtain  that  was  drawn. 
In  a  few  minutes  it  was  removed,  and  pre 
fer;  ted  to  his  view  a  form  that  nature  had  tak 
en  pride  in  adorning. 

Mil's  Stuart  (for  it  was  herfelf )  was  the 
moft  finifhed  picture  of  human  perfection.  She 
raifed  her  blue  eyes  as  he  addrelTed  her,  and 
politely  reqriefting  him  to  wait  a  few  minutes, 
difapoeared  to  put  herfelf  in  readinefs  to  ac^ 

company   him. 

* 

She  foon  rejoined  him  in  the  parlour,  and 
they  proceeded  on  foot  to  the  hotel.  She  ac 
cepted  his  arm,  and  he  perceived  with  ex 
treme  forrow  that  me  had  fcarcely  fuflicient 
Strength  to  proceed.  Yet  ilie  did  not  once 
complain,  but  pa  fled  the  iliort  time  in  making 
a  thoufand  tender  enquiries  about  her  father. 

The  meeting  bet.ween  them  was  highly  af- 
fedring  ;  they  were  equally  feniible  of  the 
•ges  each"  other's  looks  had  experienced, 
yet  r  either  dared,  to  acknowledge  that  they 
perceived  any  alteration.  It  was  bat  too  evi 
dent  that  Mifs  Smart  was  in  the  early  ftage  of 
a  confumption,  which  appeared  to  be  fa  ft  haft- 
ening  this  beauteous  bloffom  to  a  premature 
decay.  It  was  foon  determined  that  Ihe  ihould 
immediately  leave  the  convent  ;  that  the  next 
morning  her  expenc.es  ihould  be  paid  there; 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  3t 

and  her  clothes  taken  away  ;  and  that  they 
Ihould  allow  themfelves  a  few  days  repofe  at 
Calais,  before  they  fixed  on  any  plan  their 
inclinations  might  for  the  preient  lead  them-, 
to  purfue. 

Mifs  Stuart  had  contracted  an  intimacy  in 
the  convent  with  a  Mifs  Beaumont,  a  young 
lady  of  French  extraction,  and  fomewhat  old 
er  than  herfelf.  The  very  (lender  fortune  ihe 
was  to  inherit,  had  induced  her  parents  t&  per- 
fvs'ade  her  to  take  the  veil,  to  which  me  was 
perfectly  reconciled,  Having  lived  in  the  con 
vent  iince  ihe  was  fix  years  old,  me  had  not  a 
wiih  to  fee  the  world,  but  had  partly  refolvecl 
to  enter  on  her  noviciate  the  following  year.j 

Mifs  Stuart  called  there  the  next  morningr 
and  took  leave  of  her  friend.  They  agreed  to 
correfpond  during  the  remainder  of  their  lives, 
and  that  no  intereiVmg  cireumitaiice  mould  oc 
cur  to  the  one,  with  which  the  other  fhould 
not  become  acquainted. 

• 

Our  travellers  had  been  near  a  week  at 
Calais,  and  Colonel  Stuart  thought  it  time  to 
fix  their  departure.  But  whither  were  they  to 
go?  He  w iflied,  for  his  own  gratification,  to 
return' home ;  but  he  thought  it  would  be,  at, 
that  time,  a  wrong  meafure  to  adopt  on  his 
daughter's  account.  For  this  he  had  a  double 
motive:  Winter  was  fetting  in,  and  he  na 
turally  conceived  that  the  keen  blafts  of  the 
North  would  have  too  powerful  an  influence 
over  her  delicate  and  affefted  frame.  He  feared 


32          THE     G  O  N  T  R.  A  S  TV 

alfo,  from  the  exquifite  fenfibility  he  preceived 
her  to  pofiefs,  that  ihe  might  receive  a  fatal 
blow  to  her  peace,  when,  on  her  return  to 
her  firft  home,  every  object  which  appeared 
there  would  remind  her  of  its  loft  ornament, 
her  mother  ! — The  Golonel  had,  fmce  her 
death,  found  a  melancholy  pleafure  in  arrang 
ing  every  thing  at  Allan-Bank  for  her  reception. 
All  that  had  belonged  to  Mrs.  Suart,  he  had 
colle&ed  carefully  for  her  daughter ;  but  he 
had  no  idea  of  the  faded  form  he  \vas  to  meet ; 
he  had  feeu  her  a  healthy ,  though  delicate  girl ; 
and  he  naturally  expected  to  find  in  her  im^ 
proved  underftanding,  and  formerly  lively  dif- 
poiition,  the  companion  beft  fuitedto  footh  the 
anguilh  of  his  mind,  whenever  he  reflected  on 
the  virtues  of  that  incomparable  wife  of  which 
the  grave  had  robbed  him  I 

In  the  evening,  when  Ml fs  Stuart  had  retired 
to  her  appartinentr.the  Colonel  rang  for  ano- 
bottle  of  Moniienr  Deifm's  beft  Burgundy,  and 
imparted  to  Glencairn  his  reflections  of  the  day. 
He  obferved,  that  having  nothing  to  confult 
but  their  refpeclive  inclinations,  he  had  en 
tertained  an  idea  of  their  traveling  South  ;  that 
he  thought  his  beloved  Mary's  health  required 
change  of.  air,  and  he  conceived  it  poffible 
THAT  of  Italy  might  reftoreit.  She  would  alfo 
derive  maay  advantages  from,  fuch  a  TOUR, 
that  were  not  to  be  met  with  in  Scotland.  It 
would  afford  her  a  flee  opportunity  of  improv 
ing  herfelf  in.  nrufip,  of  which  ihe  was  pailion^- 
ately  fond;  and  (he  woald  by  travelling  gain  a 
ilifiicleat -knowledge  of  the  world,  to 


A    N  O  V  E  L  33 

that  awkward  bafhfulnefs,  -which  gave  her  a 
childilh  air  of  iimplicity,  and  which  it  would 
be  necelTary  for  her  to  overcome  before  Hie  pre- 
fided  at  his  houfe,  of  which,  alas  !  Ihe  was 
now  become  fole  mirbrefs.  Giencairn  could 
not  with  any  propriety  appear  to  disapprove 
this  fcheme,  and  nothing  remained  tut  to  ob 
tain  Mifs  Stuart's  approbation  (of  which  they 
could  have  no  doubt)  ;  and  that  obtained,  they 
refolved  to  quit  Calais^  and  pals  through  Pro 
vence  to  Nice. 

Mifs  Stuart  was,  as  they  expe&ed,  pleafcd 
with  the  propofal ;  and  nothing  -was  wanting 
to  complete  the  fatisfadlion  of  the  party,  but  a 
more  cheerful  acquiefcence  on  the  part  of  Glen- 
cairn  ,  who  vainly  endeavoured  to  forget  his 
.predilection  for  Lady  Jane  Martindale.  He 
experienced  an  inquietude  hitherto  unknown 
to  him,  when  he  reflected  on  the  impoiiibility 
there  now  was  of  his  communicating  to  her  his 
fentiments,  and  the  knowledge  of  his  fituation. 
He  dared  not  hazard  writing  to  her  by  the 
poll  ;  and  though  the  failors  had  told  him 
Mrs.  Drapery's  name,  his  reipect  and  delicacy 
forbade  his  addreiling  himfelf  to  her.  He  wa& 
forced  therefore  for  the  prefent  to  relinquifh  all 
hope  of  feeing,  hearing  of,  or  writing  to  her ; 
and  he  felt  the  force  of  Rochefoucault's  jufl  ob- 
fervatioo,  that 

Abfence   leiTens  fmall  paflions,   and  encreafe* 
great  onesk 

For  he  never  loved  LacJy  Jaf1^  &    PASSION- 


34         THE     C  O  N  T~R  A  S  T: 

ATELY  as  at  this  moment,  while  he  defpaired  of 
«ver  feeing  her  more* 


C    H    A    P 


THE  next  clay  was  employed  in  preparati 
ons  for  their  departure ;  and  on  the  en- 
fuing  morning  they  began  their  journey  in  a 
berline  the  Colonel  had  purchaced  of  Monfieur 
Deifin.  They  were  attended  only  by  a  French 
fervant  who  had  travelled  all  his  life,  fpoke  a 
little  Englifh,  and  whora  Deffin.  had  recom 
mended. 

I  fhall  pafs  over  every  natural  incident  that 
occurred  to  them,  and  obferve  only  that  they 
reached  Nice  ibon  after  the  time  they  had  calcu- 
lated  to  do  fo  ;  when,  after  palling  a  few  days 
at  the  hotel,  they  hired  by  the  month  an  ele-- 
gant  villa  in  its  environs. 

The  Colonel  had  procured  letters  of  credit 
on  the  Engliih  banker  there,  and$  they  were 
all  alike  charmed  with  their  new  fituation. 
Their  fervant  Louis  had  been  there  frequently, 
and  was  become  their  Proveditore-Generale. 
Mifs  Stuart  hired  a  maid  for  herfelf,  by  name 
Jofephme,-  which,  with  an  Italian  cook,  corn- 
pleated  their  family. 

Colonel  Stuart  was  an  independent,  thougk 


A    NOVEL.  35 

not  a  rich  man.  His  income  had  never  been 
involved,  and  it  produced  him  from  five  to  fix 
hundred  pounds  a  year.  He  had  no  one  to  pro 
vide  for  but  his  daughter. 

With  his  protege  Glencairn  it  was  othervife. 
He  was  an  orphan,  without  a  friend  in  the 
world  but  the  Colonel,  who  (having  been  ma 
ny  years  intimate  with  his  deceafed  father,  rJif. 
tantly  related  to  Mrs.  Stuart,  and  who  was  a 
younger  brother  of  high  birth,  wliofe  fortune 
perifhed  with  his  life)  had  adopted  this  child  of 
love,  and  promiled  never  to  deiert  him.  He 
adhered  to  his  word,  and  was  fuificiently  pre- 
poffeffed  in  favour  of  his  young  ward,  to  WISH 
lhat  a  future  attachment  might  take  place  be 
tween  him  and  his  daughter,  that  his  fortune 
tfiight  by  their  marriage  equally  devolve  on 
both.  With  this  view,  he  had  fpared  no  pains 
to  cultivate  the  mind  of  the  young  Edward, 
who  repaid  his  tender  care  with  all  that  filial 
duty  and  imcere  affe&ion  could  beftow, 

It  was  with  this  young  couple,  as  with  all 
onr  untravelled  illanders,  whole  extent  of  E- 
uropean  knowledge  carries  them  no  father  than 
the  boundaries  of  England ;  every  object  be 
yond  Dover  becoming  a  matter  of  wonder. 
Thus  it  was  with  our  North  Britons.  Mifs 
Stuart  and  Glencairn  were  loft  in  aftonifhment  at 
every  new  fcene  which  prefented  itfelf  to  their 
view,  and  they  feemed  to  fancy  themfelves  in 
habitants  of  another  world.  They  were  left 
almoft  entirely  to  themfelves ;  for  Colpnel  Stu 
art  was  a  man  of  fuch  ftrict  honour,  and  had 


36          THE     CONLRAST: 

-withal  fo  much  family-pride,  that  he  believed 
it  jmpoflible  they  ihould  derogate  from  either ; 
his  only  appreheniion  was,  that  neither  poiTeiF- 
«d  fufficient  confidence  to  explain  thole  mutual 
fentiments  which  he  thought  muft  be  infepara- 
ble  from  both.  In  this  opinion  he  \yas  not  al 
together  miftaken.  Their  time  paffed  away  in 
innocent  delight ;  and  Mifs  Stuart's  health  be 
ginning  vilibly  to  mend,  they  amufed  them- 
felves  in  visiting  every  curiofity,  with  which, 
the  charming  country  they  were  now  become 
inhabitants  of,  abounded. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Nice,  innumerable  were 
the  piclurefque  icenes  which  met  their  ravilh- 
ed  eyes.  How  beautiful  do  the  marit'yne  Alps 
appear,  as  they  rife  from  the  ocean  !  from 
whence  afcending  by  gentle  degrees,  they  form 
a  fuperb  amphitheatre,  bounded  by  Mount- 
albano,  projecting  into  the  fea,  and  over  hang 
ing  the  town.  On  the  other  fide,  where  .pro-' 
fpecls  lefs  ftnpendous  allure  the  eye,  how 
charming  do  the  richly  cultivated  plains  ap 
pear,  while  they  prefent  to  the  view  the  vines, 
the  citrons,  the  oranges,  the  bergarnots,  and 
every  luxury  which  Earth  can  furnifh  to  her 
inhabitants  ! — The  gardens,,  which  are  during 
the  winter  months  equally  profufe  of  the 
fweeteft  flowers,  convinced  them,  that  in  that 
terreftrial  paradife  the  Lord  of  all  had  been 
peculiarly  bounteous,  and  that  to  be  happy  it 
was  neceffary  only  to  forget  every  difappoint- 
ment  that  had  hitherto  awaited  them  in  this 
iublunary  world. 


A     N  O  V  E  L: 

But  how  vain  is  every  endeavour  to  com 
mand  the  feelings  of  the  human  heart! — They 
rife  fuperior  to  conrroul,  and  if  they  reign  at 
all,  they  reign  with  tyranny.  Glencairn 
muft  have  been  more  than  mortal,  lefs  than 
man,  could  he  have  refided  under  the  fame 
roof  with  the  all  fafcinating  Mary,  without 
feeling  the  power  of  her  improving  charms. 
He  was  not  blind  to  them,  but  often  in  feciv- 
ey  lamented  his  wayward  deftiny,  which  feein- 
ed  determined  in  fpite  of  every  oppofition  to 
feparate  them  through  life.  An  idea,  prior  to 
his  feeing  Mary,  had  taken  full  poilellion  of 
him.  He  had  beheld  Lady  Jane  Martindale, 
and  his  heart  had  vowed  to  her  everlaftiru; 
love.  He  even  cheriihed  the  certainty  of  her 
hufband's  not  being  IMMORTAL;  and  he  con 
ceived  it  poilible  for  a  time  to  arrive,  nay,  he 
even  believd  itto  benot  far  diftant,  when  he 
might  return  to  England,  and  claim  her  as  his 
own. 

How  vifionary  is  every  fcheme  of  future 
blifs,  and  how  precarious  are  the  willies  of 
man! — He  builds  his  hope  on  a  fhadow$ 
and  fcarcely  has  he  time  to  admire  the  fabric 
his  imagination  has  raifed,  ere  it  vanifhes,  and 
jiis  dream  of  happinefs  at  once  difappears  I 


D 


33          THE    £  O  N  T  P.  A  S  T: 


€  H  A  P.    X. 


WE  will  now  return  toLedftone,  where 
nothing  material  occured  during  the 
funimer  and  autumn  months,  more  than  has 
been  mentioned.  Lady  Jane  and  Mr.  Mar- 
tindale  lived  peaceably  together,  feldom  con 
tradicting  each  other,  but  particularly  agree 
ing  on  one  point,  that  of  looking  forward 
with  pleaiure  to  the  deilined  time  of  their  re 
turn  to  London.  Lady  Jane  fometimes,  in 
deed,  recollected  Glencairn;  but  thofe  emoti 
ons  me  had  experienced  at  firft  feeing  him,  had 
fubfided  into  a  languid  indifference,  and  her 
thoughts  became  .every  day  more  devoted  to 
the  idea  of  the  pleafures  ihe  ihould  .enjoy  in 
the  gay  metropolis.  She  did  not  however  ne 
glect  at  times  vifiting  her  favourite  fpot ;  but 
it  was  now  .winter,  -and  die  coldnefs  of  the 
weather  prevented  her  fitting  there  as  former 
ly,  watching  the  bofom  of  the  deep. 

She  was  one  morning  returning  from  it, 
and  near  the  houfe,  when  me  perceived  Mr. 
Martindale  corning  towards  her  with  a  letter 
in  his  hand.  His  countenance  bore  the  viiible 
marks  of  difcontent.  He  took  her  arm  within 
his  ;  and  (lightly  obferving  that  he  had  fome- 
thing  unpleafaru  to  communicate,  but  without 
mentioning  of  what  nature,  they  proceeded 
to  the  library,  where,  without  hifitation.  he 


A    N  G'  V  £  L,  39 

read  to  her  the  letter.  It  was  from  his  father. 
It  fir  ft  contained  a  few  vague  enquiries  alter 
them,  and  then  informed  them,  that  being  at 
length  tired  of  a  (ingle  life,  he  had  refolved 
to  marry  a  fecond  time.  He  had  partly,  lie 
faid,  fixed  hischoice.  The  Lady  (he  obfervedj 
was  not  of  a  diftinguifhed  family,  neither  did 
file  polfefs  a  brilliant  fortune  ;  but  (he  "had  ma 
ny  good  qualities,  and  he  had  no  doubt  of  the 
approbation  me  would  meet  with  from  his  foil 
and  daughter,  to  whom  he  hoped  in  a  few 
months  to  introduce  her  as  his  wife.  He  nei 
ther  mentioned  her  name,  her  age,  nor  her 
perfon  ;  and  of  thefe,  various  were  the  opini 
ons  they  entertained^  Mr.  Martindale  highly 
refpected  his  father,  and  dreaded  feeing  him 
the  dupe  of  what  he  naturally  fuppofed  to  be 
(fronr  the  caution  obferved  in  the  letter)  an 
indifcreet  engagement.  Another  motive  too, 

o 

and  in  forne  breafts  it  would  have  been  a  more 
powerful  one  than  it  was  in  that  of  Mr.  Mar 
tindale,  w^f elf -infer  eft*  The  old  gentleman 
had,  on  the  death  of  his  wife,  fettled  all  his 
landed  property  on  his  fon  ;  but  he  had  a  great 
deal  of  ready  money  ;  five  thoufand  pounds  of 
which  he  had  given  him  on  his  marriage,  be- 
fides  his  mother's  jointure  of  two  thoufand 
pounds  a  year,  which  was,  in  cafe  of  Lady 
Jane's  furviv'mg  him,  to  be  her  portion  for 
life.  He  had  been  indeed  particularly  liberal 
en  that  occafion,  having  prefented  Lady  Jane 
with  the  late  Mrs.  Mardndale's  jewels, ,  which 
were  of  confiderable  value,  and  he  had  pur- 
chafed  every  thing  for  them,  fuch  as  equipa 
ges,  plate,  &c. 

D  2 


-p        T-ME     CONTRA 


they  could  forefec  witli 
pleafen  an  Union)  which  would  divide,  if  it  did 
iiOt  wholly  alienate,  the  aflfe£biors  of  Mr.  Mar- 
r.n:!.: lc  IV-, wi  his  family.  After  they  bad  con- 
'jr  for  fbme  time  on  the  ftibje&, 
they  agreed  to  fet  out  for  London  with  ail 
convenient  expedition.  Mr.  Martindale  an- 
i \vered  his  lather's  letter,  but  in  terms  almoft 
*;£  equivocal  as  his  own.  He  expreMed  ibme 
fv.rprife  at  the  half  confidence  repofed  in  him, 
and  concluded  by  vviihing  him  every  happineis 
in  whatever  {ituntion  he  might  hereafter  find 
liimfelf ;  but  he  did  not  give  the  moil  cliftant 
hint  of  his  intention  of  going  to  town,  which 
\vasinhopes,  if  it  were  not  already  too  late, 
to  fruftrate  the  old  gentleman's  prefent  intenti 
ons. 

As  they  had  no  honfe  there,  they  were  on 
their  arrival  obliged  to  put  up  at  an  hotel;  and 
had  on  that  account  left  all  their  fervants,  ex- 
cepting  P^Irs.  Drapery  and  the  butler,  at  Led- 
Hone.  They  had  noc  been  there  many  minu 
tes,  before  Mr.  Martindale  fent  for  a  hackney- 
coach,  and  went  to  his  father's  houfe  in  the 
city.  But  now  great  was  his  ailoniihment, 
when,  on  knocking  at  the  door,  a  footman  in 
an  unknown  livery  appeared  at  it,  and  inform- 
rned  him,  that  the  houfe  was  now  in  poiieffion 
of  another  family  ;  Mr.  Martindale  having 
been  married  about  a  month,  and  that  he  reii- 
ded  in  Devonfhire  Pjace  ! 

Mr.  Martindale  faiotherecl  as  much  as  pofll- 
ble  his  indjgnaiion  and  Airprlfe.  He  directed 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  41 

Uie  coachman  to  return  to  the  hotel,  and  gave 
hirnfelf  up  to  his  reflections  in  this  firft  inftance 
of  duplicity  oh  his  father ;  for  it  was  evident  to 
him,  that  he  was  actually  married  at  the  time 
he  wrote  to  him  ;  and  that  the  ceremony  muft 
have  been  performed  in  a  very  private  manner, 
not  a  (ingle  news-paper  having  announced 
it. 

When  he  returned  to  Lady  Jane,  and  in 
formed  her  what  had  pa  (Ted,  he  had  the  '  fatif- 
f action,  to  find  that  her  feelings  were  perfectly 
congenial  with  his  own  :  ihe  perfuaded  him  to 
wait  till  the  next  day  for  farther  intelligence  ; 
and  amklft  a  thoufand  conjectures — apprehenfi- 
ons — and  uncertainties— they  palled  the  even 
ing,  and  retired  early  to  reft. 


€     II     A     P. 


R.  Jsaies   Mr.rtindale,  at   a    feafonablc 

hour,  difpatched  his  own  fervant  with 
a  dutiful,  yet  cool  billet  of  congratulation  to 
his  father,  requeuing  to  know  at  what,  horn- 
he  might  be  premitted  to  wait  on  him. 

Though  it  was  but  juft  two  o'clock  when  the 
valet  was  fent  on  his  errand,  he  found  the 
crowd  of  fervants  and  carriages  fo  great  at  Mr. 
Martiridale's  c!oor;  that  it  had  more  the  appear- 


o 


42 

unce  of  the  Exhibition  at  Somerfet-Houfe,  than 
of  leionding  to  a  citizen. 

It  v,  as  fome  minutes  before  he  could  prevail 
•on.  or.e  of  the  footmen  to  carry  up  the  note  he 
was  iiiTuik'd  with.  After  waiting  a  confidera- 
Me  time  for  an  anfvver,  a  verbal  one  was 
brought  him  by  another  powdered  coxcomb, 
which  was  {imply  Mr.  Martindale's  compli 
ments,  and  that  he  would  call  at  the  hotel 
within  an  hour.  Lady  Jane  was  fhnding  at 
one  of  the  windows  of  k  about  four  o'clock, 
v.hcn  a  iumptuous  vis-a-vis  llopped  at  the  door. 
Mr.  Ivlarthidale  was  fitting  by  the  fire-fide, 
reading  a  new  pamphlet,  when  Lady  Jane's 
precipitate  exclamation,  of  4%  Good  t:>  God  ! 
vhls  c;,-.not  be  your  father  !"  inilantly  drew 
him  towards  her.  They  thought  they  recog 
nized  his  features,  though  difguiied  un'der  a 
i'inall  \vip;,  made  to  look  like  his  ov/n  hair; 
\yliich  ;;«:ve  ib  great  an  alteration  to  his  coun 
ter:,  '.cj.  ih at  it  was  inipoilible  for  them  at  the 
frrft  moment  to  afccrtaiil  whether  or  uo  it  was 
really  him  they  lav/.  They  were  however 
foo:i  convinced,  as  he  hobbled  out  cf  his  carri 
age  {upper led  by  t\\  o  iervants  in  yellow7  and 
iu\  cr  liveries  :  the  plain  blue  and  butt,  which. 
had  been  the  family  ihndard  of  many  years, 
AN  as  to  all  appearance  difcarded,  with  the  browa 
bob  of  former  and  more  rcfoeelable  days. 

M;\  Martindale  received  the  congratulations 
of  his  fun  and  daughter  with  much  feemingplea- 
fure  ;  and  apologized  with  rather  a  diiconcert- 
&i  air  for  the  fecrecv  he  had  obferved  towards 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  4-.- 

r^_> 

them  ;  ^Hedging  as  bis  reafon  for  .  it,  the  ap- 
prehciilions  he  had  entertained  for  their  difap- 
proveing  his  marriage  ;  to  which  however  he. 
was  very  certain  no  reasonable  objection  couKl 
be  ftated,  unlelsic  was  that  of  a  difparity  o£ 
years  ;  Mrs.  Manindale  being  extreamly 
young,  and  extrearnly  handfome.  He  was 
corn  million  ed  by  her,  he  faid,  to  fay  a  thoufand 
kind  things  tothenibodi  ;  and  to  alfure  them 
of  her  regret  at  finding  herfelf  engaged  not 
only  for  that  day,  but  for  the  fucceeding  one  ; 
but  {he  hoped  they  would  not  refufe  her  the 
favour  of  their  company  to  fupper  that  night 
at  twelve,  after  the  opera,  where  ihe  vvasgoing.. 
To  this,  they  affented,  more  from  curiofity 
than  inclination,  and  the  old  bridegroom  took 
his  leave. 

Mr.  Martindale,  In  going  down  the  flair- 
cafe  with  his  father,  enquired  the  former  name; 
of  his  mother-in-law ;  bat  received  a  very 
laconic  anfwer,  that  it  was  Harvey  ;  of  a  fami 
ly  of  the  North  of  England,  with  which  he 
could  not  poffibly  be  acquainted. 

He  returned,  and  fat  down  in  fullen  filence  ; 
but  Lady  Jane  laughed.  She  had  no  envy  in 
her  competition,  and  was  prepared  to  admire 
the  fuperior  beauties  of  Mrs.  Martindale,  with 
out  a  wifli  to  outvie  them,  or  to  find  them 
any  way  inferior  to  the  old  gentleman's  dif- 
cription. 

At  the  appointed  hour  they  went  to  De» 
Yonihire-Piace.  Mrs.  Mar.tiudale  was  but  juft 


44        THE     CO  N  T  R  A  S>  T: 

returned  home,  having  lounged,  ihe  faid,  long 
er  than  fhe  intended  in  the  falcon  of  the  opera- 
houfe. 

If  her  vifitors  were  ft  ruck  with  the  beauty 
of  her  perfon  (than  which  nothing  could  he 
more  captivating),  they  were  not  lefs  fo  with 
the  dazzling  fplendour  of  her  drefs,  A  rich 
gold  mullin,  made  into  a  Circailian  robe,  with 
a  turban  of  white  crape,  ornamented  with  a 
profuiion  of  diamonds,  gave  her  the  appear 
ance  of  an  eailern  princefs  ;  but  there  was  an 
air  ot  levity  in  her  manner,  that  initantly  caught 
the  attention  of  young  Mr.  Martindale  ;  who 
had  fcarcely  beheld  her,  ere  his  heart  formed  a 
wiih  that  no  violent  intimacy  might  in  future • 
take  place  between  her  and  his  wife. 

The  more  he  faw  of  this  yonthfnl  bride 
(whole  appearance  did  not  befpeak  her  age  to 
be  more  than  feventeen),  the  lefs  he  liked  her  ;. 
and  while  he  drew  her  into  a  converfation,  in 
which  he  perceived  that  her  ignorance  and 
felf-fufficiency  were  predominant,  he  pleafed. 
himfelf  on  the  comparifon  he  could  not  avoid 
making  between  her,  and  the  lefs  beautiful, 
but  more  lovely  and  unadorned  Lady  Jane  ; 
who  having,  fince  the  frnall  portion  of  know 
ledge  ihe  had  obtained af  lur  hearc,  loft  a  con- 
iiderable  mare  of  that  pride  \vhich  had  ever 
been  her  greateft  foible,  was  become  infinitely 
more  intereiting  to  fociety  .  and  more  amiable 
in  the  eyes  of  her  hulband.  In  HER  was  blend 
ed  all  that  increaling  fenfibility  could  bellow 
en  an  intelligent  mind.  Polite  without  flatte- 


A     NOVEL.  45 

ry,  fae  every  day  gained  on  the  efteem  of  thofe 
who  knew  her.  Mrs.  Mariihidale,  by  endea 
vouring  to  appear  the  woman  offalhion,  for 
which  me  was  never  intended,  was  at  times  e- 
vren  vulgar  ;  and  her  obfcure  origin  was  not 
counterbalanced  by  the  graces  of  her  mind. 
Nature  had  been,  it  is  true,  profufely  laviih  on 
her  perfon  ;  but  her  difpofition  was  avaricious 
and  mean.  She  difliked  Lady  Jane's  fuperior 
birth,  but  ihe  had  cunning  to  diiTemble  ;  and 
endeavoured  to  flatter  her  into  a  belief,  that 
me  had  never  feen  any  woman  with  whom  me 
ib  much  longed  to  cultivate  a  friendship, 
as  herfelf. 

We  will  now  take  leave  of  this  family  party 
for  the  night ;  they  parted,  not  without  a  vo 
luntary  offer  from  Mrs,  Martindale  to  break 
off  all  acquaintance  with  thofe  of  her  fociety 
whom  Lady  Jane  might  not  approve.  I  will 
next  inform  my  readers  who  was  Mrs.  Martin* 
dale;  which,  together  with  the  little  {ketch  I 
have  drawn  of  her  difpofition,  will  in  fome 
meafure  enable  them  to  account  for  the  tenor  of 
her  future  conduct;  at  leaft,  if  they  think  as  I 
do,  that  a  low  mind  never  attains  any  degree 
of  excellence,  however  the  perfon  may  be  ex 
alted.  The  heart .  v.  hen  good  is  incorruptible, 
however  the  mind  may  beoveruled  by  the  force 
of  cuftom  and  of  example  :  but  when  both  thefe 
are  bad,  the  {tain  is  indelible,  and  can  nevec 
be  expunged. 


46          THE     CONTRAST:, 


CHAP.        XII. 


"  R  S.  Martindale  was  one  of  the  many 

children  of   a  refpe&able   tradefman  in 

Newcattie,  and  on  a  viiit  to  her  elder  fitter, 
married  to  a  corn-factor  in  the  city,  when  Mrr 
Martindale  firttfaw  her.  He  ibon  became  en 
amoured  ;  for  his  heart  was  not  fufficiently  fro* 
zen  by  age,  to  be  able  to  withttand  the  reno 
vating  influence  of  youth  and  beauty.  The 
idea,  however,  of  marrying  her,  or  any  other 
woman,  did  not  once  occur  to  him.  Tne  fitter, 
who  was  artful  and  defigning,  perceived  his 
inclinations,  and  determined  to  turn  his  wesk- 
nefs  to  the  advantage  of  her  family.  She  invit 
ed,  or  rather  forcecl  him  into  all  their  parties  ; 
and  finding,  after  a  few  weeks,  that  he  did 
not  make  any  overtures  towards  her  fitter's  etta- 
blilhment,  fhe  told  him  with  much  apparent 
concern,  that  me  found  her  fitter's  character 
had  fuffered  materially  from  his  conftant  at  ten* 
dance  on  her ;  that  me  had  loft  by  it  a  very  eli 
gible  marriage  ;  the  gentleman  (who  was  a 
young  officer)  having  withdrawn  his  addreffes 
in  coniequence  of  it.,  and  that  It  was  ,  become 
nee-;  11  :ry  for  him  to  difclofe  his  intentions,  of 
•whatever  nature  they  might  be. 

This  was  a  trial  for  which  the  old  gentleman 


A    N  Q  V  E  L.  47 

was  not  prepared.  He  helitated,  as  undeter 
mined  what  to  anfwer  ;  till  on  being  told  that 
there  was  no  alternative  between  his  marrying 
Mifs  Harvey.,  or  feeing  her  no  more,  he  was 
weak  enough  to  wipe  the  tears  from  his  eyes, 
and  in  half-broken  fentences,  extorted  by  FEAR, 
as  well  as  LOVF,  he  promifed  to  offer  her  his 
hand.  In  lefs  than  half  an  hour  he  had  con- 
fented  to  fall  into  the  fnare  that  was  laid  fori; 
him.  The  family  defired  the  engagement 
might  be  kept  Cecret,  in  order  to  avoid,  they 
faid,  the  ill-aatured'farcafms  and  reflections  the 
world  would  caft  upon  his  age :  but  the  truth 
was,  they  dreaded  the  advice  of  all  his  REAL 
FRIENDS,  and  hurried  him  into  a  promife  of 
hafty  marriage,  without  allowing  him  time  to 
coniider  what  he  had  to  expect  from  its  future 
confequences. 

Having  been  thus  prevailed  on  without  dif- 
-ficulty,  he  thought  of  nothing  but  his  intended 
bride.  He  was  profufe  in  his  prefents  to  her  ; 
and  on  her  mentioning  thatihe  thought  the  ci 
ty  air  inimical  to  her  health,  he  difpatched  an 
agent,  of  her  lifter's  recommending,  in  purfuit 
of  a  houfe  at  the  weft  end  of  the  town.  This 
trufty  and  well-chofen  arnbaffador  made  choice 
of  the  one  in  Devonfhire-Place  ;  and  fo  exactly 
did  he  anfwer  the  confidence  repofed  in  him, 
that  he  actually  made,  in  Mr.  Martindale's 
name,  an  agreement  for  the  purchafe  of  it ;  fo 
,that  no  farther  trouble  was  impofed  on  the  old 
gentleman,  than  to  iign  the  bonds  which  were 
two  ,days  afterwards  put  into  his  hands.  It  is 
jxue  that  he  ONCE  accompanied  the  ladies  to 


48  THE     CONTRAST: 

look  at  it ;  but  was  there  a  fault  that  he  could 
polFibly  find  with  a  houfe  fit  for  the  reception 
of  any  nobleman's  family  ?  Could  any  houfe 
be  too  good  for  Mifs  Harvey  ?  Could  any  ex 
penditure  that  lay  within  the  compal's  of  Mr. 
Martindale's  drafts,  be  extravagant  ? 

The  furniture  cf  his  houfe  in  the  city  was  to 
ite  the  next  confederation.  There  was  not  e- 
nough  of  it,  neither  was  it  fufficicntly  modern 
to  be  tranfplanted  into  Devonihire  Place.  The 
moft  fafhionable  upholfterer  in  town  was  there 
fore  immediately  applied  to,  and  direfted  to 
change  it  as  his  fancy  directed.  He  was  to  be 
allowed  one  thoufand  pounds,  over  and  above 
the  value  of  what  he  took  from  the  city  ;  and 
of  which  he,  as  the  moft  falhionable,  and  con- 
fequently  the  moft  confcientious  tradefman, 
was  to  be  fole  appraifer.  That  furniture  was 
not,  as  I  obferved,  fuited  to  the  prefent  tafte, 
but  it  was  coftly  in  the  extreme ;  and  was  e- 
qually  good,  though  not  equally  ornamental, 
.in  the  inferior  as  in  the  beft  apartments.  The 
late  Mrs.  Martindale's  clrclling-room  was  fitted 
up  m  the  moil  expenlive  manner;  innumera 
ble  were  the  rich  ornaments  it  contained  ;  the 
beautiful  inlaid  and  Indian  cabinets,  the  tall 
mandarians,  and  fine  China  jars,  were  not  the 
moft  remarkable.  The  boxes  belonging  to  her 
toilette  were,  like  thofe  of  the  rich,  but  nar 
row-minded  Lady  S ,  of  filver  inlaid 

with  rubies;  the  bird-cages  were  of  filver  wire, 
and  every  article  difplayed  grandeur,  if  not 
(according  to  modern  ideas  elegance.  Some  of 
£hefe  Mifs  Harvey  wiihed  to  preferve  ;  till  a 


A    N  O  V  E  L. 


49 


gentle  hint  from  her  fitter  reminded  her,  that 
as  they  had  been  the  property  of  the  late  Mrs. 
Martindale,  who  had  cioubtlefs  let  a  value  on 
them  beyond  their  in trinfic  worth,  it  was  pro 
bable  that,  if  they  were  in  her  pofleiiion,  her 
fon  might  wiih  to  obtain  them  for  Lady  Jane 
to  keep  in  remembrance  of  her.  Nothing 
therefore  was  to  be  given  into  his  hands,  but  a 
large  portrait  of  his  mother,  with  which  he 
was  to  be  favoured  on  his  return  to  town  ;  Mils 
Harvey  MODESTLY  obferving,  that,  confciov.s 
of  her  own  unworthinefs,  ihe  mould  fear  a  ri 
val  in  that  pichire  whenever  Mr.  Martindale 
looked  at  it,  as  he  would  naturally  draw  a  com- 
parifon  between  his  two  wives,  which  could  not 
fail  to  be  an  unfortunate  one  to  herfelf. 

The  houfe  was  foon  ready  ;  the  jewels,  wed- 
ding  clothes,  and  equipages,  foon  bought ;  and 
nothing  remained  but  to  fix  the  happy  day, 
which  foon  arrived.  But  the  one  previous  to 
It  was  marked  by  a  little  event ,  which  it  may 
not  be  unneceflary  to  mention  in  the  next  chap* 
ter. 


£ 


5p          THE     C  O  N  T  R  A  S  Tt 


CHAP      XIII. 


ON  the  morning  preceding  the  clay  thai: 
was  to  make  Mr.  Martindale  the  happi- 
cit  or  moft  miferable  of  men,  he  perceived 
that  an  unuiual  gloom  overfpread  the  fine  coun 
tenance  of  his  defined  bride.  He  preffed  her 
hand  tu  his  lips,  and  entreated  to  be  informed 
of  the  caufe.  She  burft  into  tears,  and  fud- 
denly  withdrew,  leaving  him  and  her  lifter 
together. 

From  HER,  he  anxioufiy  prayed  to  know 
the  meaning  ©f  fo  fudden,  fo  alarming  a  chan 
ge  ;  tenderly  enquiring  if  he  had  left  any 
thing  undone  by  which  it  was  poffible  for  him 
to  prove  ftill  farther  the  extent  of  his  affecYion. 
The  emotion  too  vinble  on  every  feature  of 
lus  face,  and  the  eagernefs  with  which  he 
conjured  her  to  explain  in  what  he  had  offend 
ed,  forced  at  length,  from  this  TENDER  rela 
tion,  the  avowal  of  a  converfation  her  lifter 
had  held  with  her ;  which  amounted  to  no 
thing  nore  than  a  childim  idea  that  had  en 
tered  her  head  ;  a  kind  of  fear,  thac  if  me  was 
wretched  enough  to  furviye  Mr.  Martindale^ 
iiis  fon,  unmindful  .of  his  father's  tendernefs 
might  diveft  her  of  all  his  goodnefs  had  lavifh- 
ed  on  her.  He  might  poffibly  in  the  end  turn 
her  out  of  her  houfe^  and  take  pofleilion  of  it^ 


A    NOVEL.  51 

as  his  heir.  It  was  not  (  fhe'  was  very  fure  ) 
from  any  mercenary  motive  that  her  inter  had 
encouraged  this  thought;  it  was  that  of  a  young 
girl  fund  of  magnificence  as  a  child  of  a  new  toy  ^ 
and  like  that,  fearful  of  loofmg  it.-  This  was 
a  fufficient  hint  for  the  too  generous  and  too 
credulous  Mr.  Martindale  ;  he  lent  immedi 
ately  for  his  attorney  ;  and  gave  him  inttructi- 
6ns  to  draw  up  a  marriage  fettle-men  t,  hy  wh'ch 
he  gnve  her  the  houfe  in  Devonlhire  Place, 
with  all  its  appendages;  together  with  all  the 
ready  money  he  mould  die  poffeiTed  of,  flocks, 
dividends,  &c.  &c.  &c.  allotting  only  one 
thoufand  pounds  of  it  as  a  legacy  eo  Mr.  Mar 
tindale,  or  Lady  Jane  if  (he  furviyed  him; 
his  landed  property  having  been,  as  I  before 

/aid,  already  fettlecUaa  his  fon. 

-*i:.          *^v* 

* 

,  In  a  few  hours  all  was  finned,  fealed,  and 
delivered;  and  he  exprelTed  his  gratitude  at  be 
ing  told  how  to  remove  the  imaginary  grief 
that  had  for  a  moment  been  fuffered  to  prey  on 
HER,  to  vvhofe  happinefs  he  was  determined  to 
devote  the  remainder  of  his  exigence. 

The  next  morning  the  fun  fuone  refplende  nt 
on  the  nuptials  of  Mr.  Martindale.  They  werefo- 
lemnized  as  agreed  on  in  a  private  manner  ; 
and  in  the  evening  he  conducted  his  bride  to 
OWN  houfe  in  Devonlhire  Place. 


They  had  been  there  about  a  month,  when 

Lady  jane  and  Mr.  Martindale  arrived  in  town. 

Mrs.  Martindale  had   already   formed   the  ac- 

qoaintaiice  of  almofi:   every    falhion  able  family 

E  2 


52          Tiir     C  O  N  T  E.  AST: 

there.  For,  as  I  have  read  in  fcripture, 
V/het -ever  the  honey  is,  there  will  the  flies  be 
al/o,  fo  is  an  open  houfe,  a  fumptuous  equi 
page,  and  all  the  other  appendages  of  wealth, 
the  lure  paflport  to  an  intimacy  with  the 
whole  world.  Innate  virtue  is  no  recommen 
dation  ;  nor  is  any  other  requiiite  neceffary  to 
f'jppori:  the  appearance  of  it,  than  the  acquiefc- 
ence  of  a  hmband  to  the  conducl:  of  his  wife. 
However  his  delicacy  may  be  wounded — how 
ever  his  feelings  may  be  hurt  by  her  failings — 
kt  him  out  continue  to  live  with  her  in  a  rou 
tine  of  extravagant  difiipation,  and  the  feeble 
voice  of  ilander  will  be  drowned  in  the  loiul 
.s,icsiN:uie  world.  But,  if  HE  forfakes  her, 
ciougii  iiie  be  "  as  chafte  as  ice,  as  pure  as 
f/;G>v ,"  ihe  Jhall  not  efcape  the  torrent  of  cal 
umny,  which  v.  ill  inevitably  overwhelm  her 
reputation.  A  woman's  fame  depends  lefs  on 
her  own  character,  than  i:  does  on  that  of  her 
hufband.  If  he  cliicards  her,  the  world  will 
alib,  wichont  enquiring  why  he  has  done  fo. — 
She  will  look  for  friends,  but  ihe  will  never  find 
them.  The  gay  companions  of  youthful  plea^ 
ill  res  will  mrink  from  diiireis,  as  from  a  peftU 
lence  ;  and  ihe  will  woefully  experience,  that 
the  fine  day,  Flattery,  will  not  itay  to  aiiiit  the 
weary  in  a'  cloudy  night.  Alas  !  HER  day  vrill 
foo.ii  let  in  darkneib — her  breaking  heart  \vill 
be  overwhelmed  by  the  ilorms  of  adverlity> 
until  in  fome  obfcure  corner  of  the  earth  Ihe 
dies  unknown — un pitied — and  imiatnented  \ 


A     NOVEL.  53 


CHAP.        XIV 


MR  S.  Martindale  foon  gained  acomplete 
afcendancy  over  her  doting  hufband, 
which  was  llrengthenedby  her  apparent  attach 
ment  to  Lady  Jane,  who  continued  to  be  fo 
great  a  favourite  with  him,  that  her  fanction 
feemed  neceffary  to  every  thing  ihe  undertook, 
She  had  art  enough  to  twift  herfelf  round 
the  heart  of  that  lady,  who  repofed  in  her  an 
unlimited  confidence,  and  they  became  infe- 
parable.  They  met  with  univerfal  admiratioil; 
but  their  manners  were  fo  different,  that  the 
admirer  of  the  one  was  feldom  that  of  the  o- 
thcr.  Mrs.  Martindalc's  beauty  and  levity 
attracted  the  notice  of  all  the  gay  men,  while 
Lady  jane's  increaiing  fenfibility  gave  her  an 
air  of  frvidcur,  that  forbade  them,  every  hope- 
of  encouragement. 

Mr;  Martindale,  fenior,  though  extrava 
gant  in  the  gratification  of  his  wife's  plca- 
fures,  was  not  wholly  unmindful  of  his  ion's 
intereils.  He  purchafed  a  fmall  houfe  for  him 
in  Argyle  Street,  to  which  he  was  prompted 
by  his  wife 

Lady  Jane  believed  her  to  be  only  the  art- 
lefs,  giddy  girl  ihe  appeared.  Little  did  {he- 


54  THE     CONTRAST: 

fuipecT:  the  fnuke  ihe  wasfoitering  in  her  bo- 
fom,  which  waited  only  with  envenomed  ran 
cour  to  {ting  her  beyond  the  reach  of  human 
remedies. 

Among  the  crov/ci  of  flu&uating  admirers 
that  paid  their  devotions  at  the  ihrine  of  beauty, 
JLord  Darnley  was  the  moil  confpicuous  for  hib 
attentions  to  Mrs,  Martindale.  He  was  lately 
married  to  a  very  young  lady,  whole  large 
iortune  had  been  in  part  appropriated  to  the 
payment  of  his  iordihip's  early  debts,  lie  was 
fond  of  his  v,  lie,  yet  not  fufficiently  lb  to  lay 
any  embargo  on  his  inclinations  whenever  they 
led  him  to  indulge  a  momentary  cuprite. 

He  confidered  Mrs.  Martindale  an  eafy  con- 
queit,  which,  when  once  obtained,  would  be 
i'.'on  forgotten.  Wilh  this  view  he  laid  clofe 
ii^ge  to  her  at  every  public  place  ihe  frequent 
ed.;  nor  did  ihe  give  his  lordiliip  any  reafon  to 
tioiibi:  the  f'.icccis  of  his  enterprile.  Vanity 
\vn;  her  ruling  palit^n,  and  to  that  ihe  was  e- 
ver  ready  to  lacrilire  every  moral  coniulerati- 
en.  l.ady  lane  either  did  not,  or  would  not. 
perceive  this  growing  intimacy  ;  ihe  conceived 
A\;  dales  levii:y  10  be  her  belt  fecurity 

aga  j.ttacliincnt  of  the   heart ^  and  .(lie 

felt  no  alarms  on  heraccounu 

Lord  Darnley  \vas  rather  an  elegant  than  a 
himdibine  man.  Perfectly  verfecl  in  every  lef- 
ion  of  LOVS,  he  had  feidom  met  with  a  denial 
where  he  had  once  taken  the  pains %  to  ingra 
tiate  hnufeli.  He  was  at  this  tlaie  buiily  cm- 


A    NOVEL.  55 

ployed  in  railing  a  regiment  of  light  dragoons* 
for  the  fervice  of  his  country  ;  and  adefire  of 
rendering  himfelf  coiifpicoons  according  with 
his  notions  of  patnocifm,  he  ipareduo  expence. 
to  complete  it.  Seldom  a  day  palled  in  which: 
his  emiilsnes  did  not  inveigle  new  victims  to 
fatiate  the  rapacious  thirl!  of  ruthlefs  war  !  His 
lord/hip,  equally  a  candidate  for  the  fields  of 
Mars  a -id  of  Venus,  divided  his  time  between 

b.  His  morning  hours  were  devoted  to  the 
rKiery  and  ruin  of  many  poor  and  worthy  fa- 
mi  lies  ;  his  evening  ovvss  to  the  more  pleating 
anir-ie-nent  of  endeavouring  to  feduce  the  af- 
ftc' lions  of  any  woman,  to  whom  he  might  wiih 
tor  the  moment  to  render  himfelf  agreeable,, 
Not  that  I  mean  to  infer,  that  Lord  Darnley 
was  a  bad  man,  lie  was  only  a  faihionable  one.. 
Nurfed  iu  the  lap  ct  luxury  by  a  mod  indulgent 
mother,  iiisearheit  wifheshad  not  been  left  un- 
gra"<iic.i.  -He  iiad  i)ecii  returned  from  the 
toutinent  about  two  years,  where  his  extrava- 

tce  was  ib  unboundtd,  that  it  became  neceiT- 
arv  to  recall  him  ;  and  he  had  been  married, 
oue  year,  to  the  amiable  lady  before  mention 
ed. 

Mrs.  iviarclndale  was  elated  by  Lord  Darn- 
ley's  attention  to  her.  Her  eyes  fought  him 
every  where,  and  he  perceived  it  ;  nor  was  it 
long  before  an  opportunity  offered,  that,  in 
making  him  matter  of  her  perfon,  baniihed  the 
ilender  impreilion  ihe  had  made  on  his  mind, 
lie  met  with  little  or  no  refinance  when  he 
hinted  at  a  private  alFignation  ;  which  being 
iixedj  and  effected  at  the  houfe  of  her  couve- 


5$  THE     C  O  N  T  K  A  S  T; 

a  lent,  milliner,  paffed   without     fufpicron    a- 
jnong  her  attendants. 

Lord  Darnley  was  no  fooner  a  happy  lover, 
tlian  he  was  a  fatiated  o.ie.  He  had  never 
feen  any  woman  but  Lady  Darnley  for  whom 
he  had  conceived  a  fentiment  beyond  that  of 
momentary  pailion  ;  and  had  ihe  not  been  his 
wife,  it  is  moft  probable  that  in  her  alone,  all 
his  inclinations  would  have  centered  ;  but 
how  ftrange  is,  it  that  every  thing  loles  a  por 
tion  of  its  value  from  the  moment  we  have  an 
indifputeable  claim  on  it  !  The  virtuous  Lady 
Darnley,  who  had  not  a  particle  of  coquetry 
in  her  difpofition,  had  married  the  man  of  her 
choice,  nor  had  ihe  a  wifli  equal  to  that  or 
pleafing  him.  We  might  be  led  to  fuppofe 
from  the  remark  1  have  juft  made  (and  from 
that  only),  that  had  he  been  more  fteady  in 
his  conduct  towards  her,  ihe  might  have  been 
more  indifferent.  She  knew  that  he  had  er 
rors,  but  Ihe  did  not  know  the  extent  of  them  ; 
and  flie  fondly  hoped,  that  her  unremiting  at 
tention  to  his  happinefs,  and  conftant  properi* 
ty  of  con  duel;,  would  at  lengthovercorne  them; 
She  knew  Lady  Jane,  and  Mrs.  Martindale, 
by  report  only  ;  her  approaching  confinement, 
which  Ihe  expefted  every  hour,  keeping  her 
conftantly  at  home,  without  other  ibciety 
than  her  mother,  who  was  come  for  the  firil 
lime  in  her  life  to  London,  for. the  purpofe  of 
attending  her-  at  that  trying  moment. 

When  the  newfpapers  announced  Lady 
Darnley 's-  delivery,,  Mrs.  Martindale  pleafed 


A    N  O  V  E  L  57 

herielf  with  the  idea  of  monopolizing  his  lord- 
ihip's  conitant  attendance  ;  and  having  menti-. 
oned  to  her  huiband  the  polite  attentions  tliat 
Lady  Jane 'and  herfeif  had  received  from  him, 
fignified  her  intention  offending  him  a  card  fer 
tile  next  evening  ihe  ftiould  receive  company, 
and  of  introducing  his  lordihip  to  his  acquain 
tance.  To  this  no  objection  could  be  made,  and 
Mrs.  Martindale  took  an  early  opportunity  of 
difpatching  invitations  to  feveral  of  her  ac 
quaintance,  among  whom  Lord  Darnley  was 
not  forgotten. 

Lady  Jane,  who  had  no  fufpicion  of  what 
had  paffed,  and  who  really  liked  Lord  Darn- 
ley,  though  (he  had  not  particularly  appeared 
to  do  fo,  was  glad  of  this  opportunity  of  bring 
ing  Mr.  James  Martindale  acquainted  with  him 
alio  ;  and  of  becoming  by  theie  means  known 
to  Lady  Darnley,  when  her  confinement  ihouid 
be  over. 

Mrs  Mar  tin  dale's  affembly  was  brilliant  in 
the  extreme  ;  for  (he  had  been  very  particular 
on  that  occaiion,  and  had  herfeif  leledted  from 
her  viiiting-book,  fuch  names  as  flood  foremoit 
in  the  gaudy  catalogue  of  rank. 

At  the  appointed  hour,  (lie  faw  her  >  rooms 
fill  to  her  heart's  fatisfattion,  but  in  vain  fhe 
looked  for  Lord  Darniey  ! She  grew  inat 
tentive  to  her  viiitors,  walked  iiicceilively 
thro?  the  rooms,  and  looked  continually  at  her 
watch,  which  fhe  fancied  loft  time,  me  could 
£ot  account  fur  his  abfeace.  It  was  on  HIS  ac- 


58  THE     CONTRAST: 

count  flie  had  that  evening  alfembled  all  thai 
was  mod  falhionable  in  town,  and  had  ftudied 
to  raiie  her  confeqr.enceby  the  {election  of  her 
company  ;  yet  he  was  the  only  pcrfon  whodid 
not  appear.  At  rievem,  the  party  began  to 
difperie.;  the  duchefs  of  G and  her  love 
ly  daughters  were  juft  taking  their  leave,  when- 
Lord  Darnley  was  announced. 

The  fudden  appearance  of  the  fun  breaking 
through  the  thick  clouds  of  a  mifty  morning, 
could  not  convey  a  more  genial  warmth-  to  the" 
dew-damp  traveller,  than  did  the  fight  of  Lord 
Darnley  to  Mrs.  Martindale  ;  her  eyes  bright 
ened  as  flie  led  him  towards  Mr.  Martmdale, 
v/ho  received  him  with  the  fctmoft  politenefs. 
But  the  electrical  fhock  of  aiortitication  inftant- 
ly  fucceeded,  \Vtfen,  in  a  voice  fcarcely  arti 
culate,  ha  enquired  for  Lady  Jane.  There 
was  an  air  of  for  row  and  conlV.fion  in  his  coun 
tenance,  that  it  was  not  poiliblefor  her  to  mif- 
eonftrue.  Mrs.  Martindale  had  more  pride 
than  love  ;  and  with  a  haughty  fneer  turning 
nattily  from  him,  flie  informed  his  lordlhip,  that 
Hie  had  lait  feen  Lady  Jane  at  cards  in  the  ad 
joining  room.  He  immediately  went  there. 
The  party  had  juft  brokeup,  and  me  was  (land 
ing  near  the  door  (waiting  for  Mr.Martindalev 
who  was  gone  to  enquire  for  the  carriage), 
when  Lord  Darnley  approached  her.  He  took 
her  hand,  with  a  freedom  ihe  had  never  ob~ 
ferved  in  him,  and  in  a  faltering  voice  whifper- 

ed OH      LADY     JANE,    IN      YOU      I      HOPE     TO 

FIND  A  FRIEND  ! — Struck  at   his  appearance, 
which  indicated  a  fenfibiiity  of  which  fhe  had 


A    N  O  V  E  L,  ^ 

iiQt  hitherto  fuppofed  him  capable,  fhe  eagerly 
aiked,  what  could  have  thus  affected  him  ? 
The  tears  rufhed  into  his  eyes,  and  he  could 
only  fay  u  Lady  Darnley"— r-asMr.  Martindale 
informed  her  their  carriage  was  up.  She  return 
ed  haftily  to  wifh.Mrs.  MartindaJe good-night; 
introduced  Mr.  James  Ma^tindale  to  Lord 
Darnley,  who  handed  her  into  it,  and  they 
parted  for  the  night. 


€    H    A    P.    Xy. 


LORD  Darnley  did  not  return  up  flairs^ 
but  defiring  that  his  feryants  might  be 
called,  threw  himfelf  into  the  carriage,  and  or- 
,dered  it  home.  His  heart  was  affe&ed,  and  for 
once  he  facrificed  the  rules  of  politenefs  to  its 
feelings.  When  he  arrived  there,  he  flew  to 
Lady  Darnley's  apartment,  without  having 
fpoken  to  any  one  ;  but  alas  !  little  did  he  ex 
pect  the  fcene  that  awaited  h,im  ;  He  knocked 
gently  at  the  door,  fearful  of  difturbingher  re- 
pofe :  but  receiving  no  anlwer,  he  opened  it. 
The  curtains  were  all  undrawn.  On  one 
fide  of  the  bed,  he  faw  her  mother  grafping 
her  hands  ;  on  the  other,  the  nurfe  was  chafing 
her  temple  with  hartfhorn  ; — but  me,  alas,  was 
gone  for  ever  ! — A  moment  convinced  him  of 
the  fatal  truth  ;  the  next  that  fucceeded  it^  de? 
priyed  him  of  his  lenfes. 


60          xfl£     CONLRAST: 

It  was  on  the  ninth-day  after  Lady  Darn- 
ley's  delivery  of  her  fid!  child.  Some  unfa 
vourable  fymptoms  had  appeared  in  the  morn 
ing,  but  they  were  not  futficiently  fo  to  alarm 
the  phyficians,  or  nurfe,  of  any  immediate  dan 
ger.  Yet  a  fatal  prefentiment^had  taken  pof- 
feflion  of  Lord  Darnley  from  the  firft  hour  fince 
her  lying-in  ;  and  this  was  ilrengthened  by 
fome  oblique,  yet  gentle  hints  that  had  been 
given  him  by  the  angle  of  purity  herfelf;  who 
had  unfortunately  (topped  her  cariage  one 
morning  by  accident  at  the  door  of  Mrs.  Mar- 
tindale's  milliner.,  where  fhe  bought  fome 
things,  and  gave  a  card,  with  orders  that  o- 
thers  mould  be  fent  to  her.  The  officious 
Frenchwoman  told  her,  that  fhe  was  fure  ihe 
mud  be  beholden  to  Lord  Darnly,  or  Mrs. 
Martindale,  for  the  honour  of  her  lady  mips 
cuftorn,  as  fhe  was  that  lady's  milliner,  and  had 
frequently  feen  his  lordlhip  at  her  houfe. 

I  do  not  believe  that  this  French  milliner  (or 
indeed  any  other  milliner)  could  plead  igno 
rance  in  fuch  a  fitnation.  She  could  not  fup- 
pofe  that  Lord  Darnley  (whofe  name  had  been, 
mentioned  to  her  by  Mrs.  Martindale)  had 
met  that  lady  there  fecretly,  and  in  a  private 
room,  for  any  good  purpofe.  No.  But  the 
difcovery  of  the  intrigue  to  Lady  Darnley 
might  prove  in  the  end  beneficial  to  her,  and 
ihe  was  not  of  a  nature  to  reflect  on  the  delicate 
feelings  of  a  'woman  of  honour.  Thefe,  were 
therefore  to  be  facrificed  to  her  own  mercenary 
and  barbarous  difpoiition  ;  and  fhe  planted  a 
thorn  in  the  bread  of  that  fpotlefs  lady  ;  it 


A     N  O  V  E  L.  6r 

tercel    there,  and  was   her   companion  to  the 
grave. 

Lady  Darnley  had  a  few  days  after  the  birth 
of  her  child,  which  was  a  daughter,  molt  earn 
ed!  y  implored  her  lord  to  promiie  her  that  he 
would  never  neglect  this  only  pledge  of  .their 
love.  She  conjured  him  to  cheriih  her  for  her 
mother's  lake  ;  as  fhe  had  imbibed,  ihe  laid  a 
ftrange  idea,  that  her  FIRST  child  would  be  ai- 
fo  her  LAST.  She  gently  added  (fqueezing  his 
hand,  and  convulied  almoll  with  agony  as  ihe 
fpoke),  that  fhe  hoped  he  would  in  future  point 
out  to  her  a  better  example  than  the  Mrs. 
Martindale  whom  Ihe  had  never  feen,  but  of 
whom  ihe  had  heard  MORE  than  Ihe  thought 
proper  to  reveal  to  him,  till  after  her  recovery. 
Lord  Darnley  vrith  truth  declared,  that  he  had 
never  been  in  Mrs.  Martindale's  houfe  ;  that 
he  had  only  formed  a  flight  acquaintance  with 
her  at  different  public  places ;  but  he  did  not 
mention  the  French  milliner,  nor  any  other 
circumftance  that  could  tend  to  corroborate' 
their  intimacy. 

On  the  day  that  he  received  Mrs.  Martin- 
•dale's  card,  he  was  half  inclined  to  fhew  it  La 
dy  Darnley  ;  but  her  weak  health  and  ipirits 
prevented  him.  Yet  he  had  no  juft  ground  to 
fbfpeft  her  approaching  tUflblution.  Her  phy- 
ficians  had  not,  as  I  faid,  even  hinted  at  danger 
and  if  his  mind  was  painfully  awake  to  the  ap- 
prehenfion  of  it,  he  could  impute,  it  only  to 
tho'fe  fears  which  a  timid  fuperitition,  and  not 
reality  ?  had  induced  him  to  give  way  to.  £i^ 
F 


6a  THI:     €  O  N  T  R  A  S  T- 

told  her  that  he  was  engaged  to  an  afiembly  that 
evening,  but  he  did  not  fay  where ;  and  his  ac 
quaintance  was  fo  numerous,  that  without  the 
help  of  the  milliner,  or  Ibme  of  her  confede*- 
rates,  Lady  Darnley  could  not  have  fufpecled 
ic  to  be  at  Mrs.  Martindale's  ihe  however  DID 
fufpecl  it,  and  received  private  intelligence  of 
that  lady's  houfe  being  open  the  fame  evening, 
and  that  Lord  Darnley 's  carriage  made  one  of 
the  number  at  her  door. 

When  the  .meffenger  who  was  fent  to  en- 
.quire  into  the  truth  of  this  unwelcome  news 
returned  from  executing  his  commiilion,  Lady 
Darnley  iniifted  on  feeing  him  ;  nor  could  the 
tender  entreaties  of  her  mother  prevent  her 
from  diving  into  the  truth.  Her  diforder  (in- 
feparable  from  her  Gtuation)  had  that  day  taken 
a  turn,  and  marked  her  death  as  certain  ;  me 
received  the  information  of  it  with  all  the  for 
titude  that  a  mind  already  wafted  to  heaven 
could  experience.  She  deiired  that  Lord  Darn- 
ley  might  be  immediately  fent  for ;  and  her 
footman,  eager  to  obey  the  orders  of  his  much- 
loved  lady,  haftened  on  the  wings  of  anxiety 
to  meet  his  lord.  But  when  he  reached  De- 
vonfhire  Place,  he  heard  only  that  he  had  been 
there  for  a  very  fhort  time,  and  was  returned. 
Lord  Darnley  was  at  home  a  few  minutes  be 
fore  his  fervant  ;  but  it  was  already  too  late  for 
him  to  catch  the  expiring  breath  of  his  lovely, 
his  virtuous,  his  already  fainted  wife  ! 

His  grief  became  unbounded  ;  he  kiffed  her 
pale  lips;  and  invoked  tbe  God  of  Heaven  to 


A    K  O  V  E  L.  63 

wit'hefs  the  integrity  of  his  heart  ! — He  had 
been  guilty  of  errors,  he  felt  he  had,  of  fatal 
ones  ;  but  little  did  he  imagine  what  would  be 
their  dreadful  confequences ;  for,  in  the  firft 
paroxfyms  of  phrenfy,  he  condemned  himfelf 
as  being  the  foie  audio**  of  her  death.  He  or 
dered  his  little  girl  to  be  brought  into  the  room, 
and  kLTed  her  with  an  enthuiiaftic  and  fervent 
affection.  He  joined  her  little  face  to  that  of 
her  fenfelefs  mother  ;  and  pointed  out  each 
refernbling  feature.  It  was  a  foleain,  an  aw 
ful  fcene  ;  and  he  was  at  length  forced  cut  of 
the  room;  his  expreflions  of  grief  becoming  fo 
violent,  as  to  threaten  with  injury  his  o\vn 
h  eafthv 

Lord  Darnley  would  not  be  told,  nor  fuller 
himfelf  to  reflect,  that  an  over  delicate  contTi- 
tutlon  had  foon  fin-rendered  itfelf  to  a  malady, 
•which  was  fo  powerful  as  to  banle  every  effort 
of  art.  To  this  was  to  be  imputed  Lady  Darn- 
ley's  early  death.  His  feeling  heart  taught 
him  firil  to  confider  his  own  mifconducl: ;  and 
he  alternately  upbraided  his  child,  and  himfelf, 
as  the  authors  of  their  irreparable  lofs* 


64          TH*     CONTRAST: 


CHAP.        XVI. 

^  ,g    R  S.  Martindale  feklorn  or  ever  took 
VJL  UP  a   new/paper  ;  and  a  cold  (of  which 
i'Lc  made  the  moil)  had  confined    her  for  fome 
<kys  at  home ;  during    which   fhe  did  not  fee 
•  Jane,  who  was  gone   to  pats   a  week  at 
.  on  a  viiit  to  one  of  Mr.  Martindale'*' 
brorj  er  collegians. 

On  the  evening  of  their  return,  they  went 
to  Devonihire  Place,  and  ftatd  fupper.  Mrs. 
Martindale  appointed  two  o'clock  the  next  day 
to  call  on  Lady  Jane,  as  they  were  to  go  to 
gether  to  befpeak  drciles  for  the  eniuing .mai- 


When  Mrs.  Ivlardndale  arrived  in  Argyle 
Street,  fhe  fovnid  Lady  Jane  in  tears  ;  who 
told  her  that  Ivlr.  Martindale  was  juitgone 
out  to  enquire  into  the  truth  of  a  para 
graph  they  had  obiervcd  in  Ths  J'tforld,  which 
pjentioned  Lady  Dar nicy's  death.  They  did 
not  however  wait  his  return,  but  ftepped  into 
the  carriage  as  foon  as  it  arrived,  ordering  the 
coachman  to  drive  (lowly  towards  Cavendilh 
Square  ;  and  to  ftop,  if  he  fa sv  hi s  mailer.  At 
the  entrance  of  it,  they  were  met  by  a  bearfe, 
adorned  \vith  white  plumes  and  eicutcheons. 


A    NOVEL  65 

and  followed  by  many  coaches  and  weeping  at 
tendants.  The  footman's  enquiries  were  an- 
iwered  by  the  name  of  Lady  Darnley. 

Lady  jane  let  down  the  fore-glafs,  and  or 
dered  the  coachman  to  return  ;  but  Mrs.  Mar- 
tindale  defired  that  he  might  firft  proceed  to 
Donnelly's  in  Taviftock  Street ;  having  no 
idea,  die  faid,  of  being  difappointed  of  her  maf- 
qnerade  drefs,  becaufe  Lady  Darnley  (a  wo 
man  whom  me  had  never  feen)  was  dead. 
Lady  Jane  endeavoured  as  much  as  poihble  to 
conceal  her  grief;  fearing  to  expreis  even  a 
fentiment  of  pity-?  lei\  it  mould  be  conftrued  in 
to  one  of  love,  for  a  man  for  whom  me  had 
hitherto  felt  nothing  more  than  a  iifteriy  affect  - 
ion  :  but  whofe  preient  misfortune  was  in  it- 
felf  fufficient  to  intereft  a  heart  poffeffed  of  leis 
exquifite  feelings  than  her  own. 

Mrs.  Martindale  ordered  a  Turkiih  habit. 
Lady  Jane  did  not  order  any  thing.  She  (hould 
be  contented,  Ihe  faid,  to  appear  as  an  humble 
attendant  on  the /air  Grecian,  not  having  at 
that  time  fpirits  to  encounter  the  wit  of  the 
different  characters  Ihe  mould*  meet  with 
there,. 

They  returned  to  Argyle  Street,  and  parted 
at  the  door.  Mr.  Martindale  was  at  ho 
expecting  Lady  Jane.  He  perceived  her  me 
lancholy,  and  enquired  its  caufe.  She  can 
didly  told  him,  that  Lady  Darnley's  Hidden 
death,  and  the  funeral  which  (lie  had  met,  had 
uncommonly  affected  her.  She  was  engaged,1 
fhe  faidj  to  a  party  going  that  evening  to  'the 


T  R  A  S  T  : 

Dnchefsof  G- ?s,    but  iLe  found  herfelf 

ij i  -equal  to  it;  and  was  going  to  fend  a  card  of 
apcldgy.  This  ilie  ciid,  and  they  paffed  the 
lem-'ii  u!er  of  the  dav  in  a  donieihc,  buc  not  a 
very  cheerful  tete-ateie. 

The  next  merging,  while  Mr.  Martindale 
V.TVS  out,  a  icrvant  of  Lord  Darnley  brought  a 
ncte  from  him  to  Lady  Jane,  fec^uefting  that 
he  nii^h:  be  pc-r.jiiticd  to  wait  on  her  for  a  few 
itmnuies,  if  ihe  was  alone  and  dtfengaged.  His 
iitiiatioii  precluded  die  poffiHlity  of  a  denial, 
hadihe  not  even  wiihed  to  fee  him..  There  is 
an  uridejfcribable  pleafure  attendant  only  on 
minds  ii.'fceptible  of  ilne  feelings,  in  liftening 
to  a  tale  of  woe,  and  fympathizing  with  the 
pathetic  narrator.  Lord  Darnley,  the  happy 
and  the  acknowledged  admirer  of  Mrs.  Mai:- 
tindale,  had  not  excited  in  Lady  Jane  any 
•  fenfatiou  ;  but  Lord  Darnley  mifera- 
i  feledhng  HER  as  a  friend  in  his  mis- 
-o:  tunes,  nii^ht  become  a  dangerous  compani 
on. 

In  lefs  than  half  an  hour,  Lord  Darnley  was 

in  Arojyie  Street.     Lady  Jane  gave  orders  that 

no  perlbn  ihoi-ld  be   admitted,  and   was   almoft 

eqvally  affected    with  himfelf.     He    took    this. 

;•  uinkv  :'j  unboibm    himfelf  to    her.     He 

1,  that  whatever  might  be  the  fentiments  of 
his  heart  towards  her,  he  coniidered  that  in 
; »refent  iituarion,  and  her  own,  an  avowal 
•of  them  would  be  a  violation  of  decency  both 
to  themfeives  and  to  the  memory  of  the  dear 
departed,  who  was  then  only  on  the  road  so 


A    N  O  V  E  L..  6r 

her  quiet  lioine  ! — Buttheintercourfe  of  friend- 
fhip  was  not  to  be  prohibited,  and  he  felt  THAT 
of  Lady  Jane  was  neceiTary  for  the  prefervati- 
on  or  his  exiibnce  ;•  which  he  valued  only  for 
the  kike  of  the  hapleiV  infant  that  had  furvived 
its  mother.  He  then  lamented  in  the  molt  af 
fecting  manner  the  fatal  error  of  a  moment r 
that  had  tempted  him  to  bellow  a  thought  oil 
the  D! ssi FATED,  the  UNPRINCIPLED  Ivlrs. 
Martindah  I — (Here  Lady  Jane  gazed  on  him 
with  ai'lonifnment.) — He  hoped,  he  faid,  that 
her  generous  heart  would  inilruclher  to  pardon 
a  connection  111:0  \viiich  he  had  been  inadver 
tently  drawn,,  at  the  fame  time  that  (he  could 
not  help  owning  it)  fae  alone  \vas  the  object  of 
his  refpedt  and  admiration  ;  and  that  it  would 
teach  her  to  feel  for  a  man  who  had  NOW  a 
claim  on  her  pity,  but  who  had  hitherto  defer- 
ved  her  utrnon  con  temp  c.  He  then  told  her 
"of the  coh.yeffa.tipn  he  had  held  with  Lady 
Darniey,  foon  after  her  lying-in,  and  among 
the  number  of  his  confeSons,  the  French  mil- 
liiiei*  was  not  forgotten. 

Lady  Jane  was  too  much  c'onfufed  by  what 
(he  bad  heard,  to  know  in  what  manner  to  re 
ply  to  him.  She  had  too  high  an  opinion  of 
his  honour  to  doubt  his  word  ;  yet  ihe  could  not 
have  fuppoied  that  Mrs.  Mardadale  would  have 
carried  her  imprudence  beyond  what  ihe  had 
conceived  to  be  an  unmeaning  levity.  Yet 
how  neceiTary  did  it  appear  to  her  at  this  mo 
ment  for  an  entire  explanation  to  take  place, 
v,  hen  Lord  Darniey  implored  her  pardon  for 


$8;          THE     CONTRAST: 

confidante  of  that  vile  woman  ;  who  had  not 
fcrupled  to  declare  to  him,  that  Lady  Jane  had 
admited  more  than  one  favoured  lover  ;  but 
that  her  regard  and  pity  for  both  Mr.  Martin- 
dales  had  prevented  her  hitherto  divulging 
-what  in  the  courfe  of  time  could  not  fail  to  be 
publicly  known. 

Lady  Jane  could  not  without  the  moft  poig 
nant  emotion  here  that  her  fair  fame  had  been 
traduced  ;  and  by  the  woman  too  who  ihould 
have  been  the  firit  to  defend  it.  How  cruel, 
how  defperate  was  her  condition  !  for,  while 
Lord  Darnley  wa$  fpeaking,  me  recollected 
having  obferved  that  feveral  of  her  female  ac 
quaintance  had  latterly  behaved  towards  her 
with  uncommon  referve.  although  no  one  had 
been  friendly  enough  to  intimate  in  what  me 
had  offended.  But  me  had  not  fuffered  it  at 
the  time  to  make  any  great  impreiTion  on  her  ; 
as  flie  was  perfectly  confcious  of  her  innocence, 
and  attributed  it  only  to  fome  trivial  caufe, 
with  which  fhe  might  pofiibiy  hereafter  be 
come  acquainted. 

But  now  me  felt  mortified  indeed  !  She 
found  that  Lord  Darnley  had  been  the  FI  RST- 
perfon  prejudiced  againft  her,  and  ihe  could 
have  wiihed  it  to  be  the  reverfe.  In  HIS  eyes, 
ihe  wanted  to  appear  perfect.  She  knew  not 
how  to  exculpate  herfelf  from  calumnies  fo  at 
rocious,  nor  how  to  convince  Lord  Darnley  of 
the  falfehood  of  her  accuier.  She  entreated 
his  Icrdihip  to  make  allowances  for  the  agitati 
on  into  which  his  difcourfe  had  thrown  her,  as 


A     N  O  Y  EL,  69 

•dffc  apology  for  the  little  ihe  could  at  that  mo 
ment  urge  inher  j  unification;  flie  requeued  his 
advice  how  to  ad:,  and.  inwardly  reiblved,  let 
what  would  be  the  confequence,  to  abide  by 
it.  She  begged  he  would  direct  her  how  to 
proceed  in  a  matter  of  fuch  importance  to  the 
peace  of  the  whole  family  ;  obferving  that  ihe 
was  too  inexperienced  to  judge  for  herfelf ;  and 
that  in  confequence  of  the  avowal  he  had  made, 
ihe  conceived  him  to  be  the  only  perfon  who 
was  able  (or  who  indeed  might  be  willing)  u>: 
advife  her. 

He  told  her,  that  he  fa\v  no  alternative  be 
tween  a  feparation  taking  place  among  them  all, 
or  her  eternal  filence  on  the  fubject.  He  beg 
ged  for  God's  fake  that  ihe  would  not  expofe 
herfelfto  farther  infults  and  mortifications; 
bat  that  flie  would  fuffer  herfelf  to  be  wholly 
ad vi fed' by  him,  and  continue  to  live  as  before: 
at  the  fame  ti^ie  he  exacted  a  promiie  from  her, 
that  ihe  would  immediately  acquaint  him  by 
letter y  ihould  any  new  manoeuvres  of  Mrs. 
Ivl  a  fluid  ale's  intervene,  to  render  the  difcove- 
ry  other  treachery  unavoidable. 

Lady  Jane  promifed  faithfully  to  adhere  to< 
all  he  laid,  he  then  entreated  her  to  honour  his 
little  girl  fometimes  with  her  attention.  He 
was  going  he  faid  to  let  his  houfe  in  Cavendifh 
Square,  and  to  fend  her  with  her  nurib  to  that 
of  a  gardener  at  LilTon-Green,  near  Paddington, 
in  whofe  wife  he  could  confide.  She  was  to 
remain  there  forne  time,  as  he  was  going  out. 
of  town  tie  next  day,  to  pafs  a  few  months  at. 


70  THE     C  O  N  T  R  A  S  T: 

the  headquarters  of  his  regiment.  He  then  a- 
role  to  take  his  leave  of  Lady  Jane  ;  gave  her 
the  child's  dire&ion  ;  and  refpe&fully,  but  pre 
cipitately  withdrew. 

Lady  Jane  was  no  fooner  alone,  than  fhe 
gave  vent  to  her  oppreffed  heart.  But  Lord 
Darnley  had  enjoined  on  her  the  hard  eft  talk 
poiiible  to  a  generous  mind,  that  of  diflimulati- 
on,  and  ilie  faw  herfelf  for  the  firfttime  obliged 
to  pradtife  it.  She  was  compelled  therefore  to 
command  her  feeling?,  and  to  endeavour  tcv 
compofe  her  appearance.  Her  heart  was  to- 
become  the  folerepoiitory  of  thofe  cares,  which,- 
alas  !  ihe  had  nor  a  friend  to  divide* 

When  Mr.  Martindale  returned  home,  he 
ironically  allied  Lady  Jane,  whom  me  had 
feen  ? — She  mentioned  Lord  Darnley's  vifit, 
but  in  herconfufion  omitted  telling  him  of  his 
reqti eft  that  (he  ihoulcl  fometimes  ir;e  his  child. 
He  obferved  that  her  eyes  were  red  with  weep 
ing  ;  but  how,  he  faid,r  could  it  be  other  wile, 
while  Hie  made  Lord  Darnley's  griefs  her  own  ? 
She  began  to  excufe  herfelf ;  he  fcarcely 
deigned  to  anfwer  her,  and  withdrew  to  his 
apartment. 

Several  weeks  paffed  without  any  change 
taking  place.  Lady  Jane  often  pondered  oil 
the  extraordinary  confeflion  that  had  b^en 
made  her  ;  but  Ihe  ftriclly  fulfilled  her  promife, 
and  buried  her  fecret  within  her  aching  breaft. 
She  even  endeavoured  as  far  as  it  was  poffible  • 
so  bauiih  the  remembrance  of  it.  S^e  neyev 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  T* 

,even  hinted  to  Mrs.  Martindale,  that  flie  fuf- 
pe&ed  her  miiconduct  ;  and  judging  from  the 
purity  of  her  own  heart,  ihe  wiihed,  rather 
than  me  hoped,  that  it  might  ft-2  the  laft  failing 
of  which  fhe  Ihould  be  ever  able  to  accufe  her. 
She  was  even fo  generous  in  her  fentiments  as 
in  THAT  ERROR  of  Mrs.  Mar  tin  dale's  to  find 
an  excufe  for  her  cruelty  towards  herfelf.  She 
knew  that  it  was  impoffible  for  fo  young  and  fo 
beautiful  a  woman  to  be  fond. of  a  hulband  who 
was  old  enough  to  be  her  grandfather;  and 
fhe  was  convinced  that  it  proceeded  folely  from 
a  jealoufy  that  had  arifen  in  confequence  of  the 
love  Ihe  bore  Lord  Darnley.  The  more  ihe 
reflected  on  HIS  advanatges,  the  lefs  ihe  won- 
.dered  at  the  choice  Mrs.  Martindale 


72          THE     CONTRAST; 


CHAP.      XVIL 


MR.  Martindale  became  overbearing, and 
was  at  times  even  infolent  to  Lady  Jane. 
She  was  no  longer  in  HIS  opinion  the  amiable 
Cant  raft  to  Mrs.  Martinda^  ;  he  conceived  her 
virtues  to  diminim,  and  her  beauties  to  decay. 
Yet  he  was  the  only  one  who  fufpe&ed  either, 
or  who  had  at  leaft  [dared  to  fay  fo.  I  iliould 
indeed  except  Mrs.  Martindale ;  who  not  only 
viewed  her  with  the  eye  of  hatred,  but  who 
alfo  became  indefatigable  in  her  endeavours  to 
poifon  the  mind  both  of  the  old  gentleman  and 
his  fon  againfther.  Yet  me  took  her  meafures 
fo  artfully,  that  Lady  Jane  had  no  reafon  to 
fuppofe  fire  ever  held  any  private  converfatioa 
with  them  about  her. 

They  were  one  evening  at   the  Duchefs  of 

X} 's,   and   Lady  Jane  was  particularly 

jftruck  with  the  appearance  of  a  young  lady, 
who  never  ceafed  to  look  at  her.  She  enquir-  ' 
edher  name,  and  found  that  it  was  Mifs  Stuart. 
She  requefted  another  lady  to  introduce  them 
to  each  other,  and  particularly  afked  after  the 
Colonel.  She  would  have  added  another  name 
to  his,  but  her  refolution  forfook  her.  A  far 
ther  acquaintance  was  mutually  propofed,  and 
Accepted ]  and  Mr.  Martindale  waited  on  Cole- 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  73 

nel  Stuart,  at  his  lodgings  in  Cumberland -ftreet, 
the  next  clay.  But  he  did  not  condefcended 
to  inform  Lady  Jane  at  his  return  of  what  had 
pafled  there,  neither  did  he  onqs  mention  the 
name  jof  Glencairn. 

In  a  few  days  Lady  Jane  paid  a  morning 
•viiit  to  Mifs  Stuart,  having  left  a  card  there  the 
preceding  evening.  She  was  admitted,  and 
-found  that  lovely  girl  fitting  at  a  frame  for  em 
broidery.  Glencairn  AVP.S  reading  to  her,  and 
the  Colonel  was  examining  different  charts' 
•which  lay  on  the  table.  Lady  Jane  coloured. 
Glencairn  was  viiibly  agitated,  and  inftantly 
turning  to  the  Colonel,  folicited  him  to  walk 
out ;  to  which  the  other  affenting,  they  iooii 
difappeared. 

Mifs  Stuart,  with  the  freedom  of  youth  and 
innocence,  gave  Lady  Jane  a  long  account  of 
her  travels,  which  were,  Ihe  faid,  pathetically 
-ended  by  her  witneffing  the  folernn  fcene  of  her 
friend  Mifs  Beaumont's  renunciation  of  this- 
life,  to  purfue,  according  to  her  own  ideas,  the 
fureft  road  to  happinefs  in  the  next. 

They  were  talking  over  this,  and  other 
matters,  when  the  poftman's  knock  announced 
letters;  and  a  fervant  delivered  one  to  Mils 
Stuart,  which  Lady  Jane  entreated  her  to 
read  without  ceremony.  She  faid  it  was  from 
Mifs  Beaumont  (whofe  name  was  changed  to 
.mother  Saint  Etienne),  congratulating  herfelf 
and  family  on  their  fafe  return  to  England, 
and  lamenting  the  probability  that  exifted  of* 
G 


74        THE     CONTRAST: 

her  feeing  them  no  more.  She  read  it  through 
out  ;  and  then  gave  it  to  Lady  Jane,  requeft- 
ing  her  to  perufe  that  charming  fpecimen  of  fe 
male  friendihip  and  letter-writing.  In  it,  the 
following  paffage  fixed  all  her  attention : 

44  The  only  point,  my  dear  Mifs  Stuart, 
44  on  which  we  could  ever  difagree  during  our 
"  long  refulence  together  in  this  peaceful  con- 
a  vent,  was  that  of  my  feclufion  from  the 
44  world.  When  I  declared  to  you  that  my 
41  reiblution  was  fixed  on  taking  the  veil,  how 
u  many  dangerous  objections  did  you  not  hold 
a  out  to  me,  in  hopes  to  alter  the  fettled  pur- 
44  pofe  of  my  heart !  You  invited  me  to  live 
44  with  you,  and  moft  tenderly  allured  me, 
4;  that  np  future  change  in  your  lituatioii 
44  mould  be  able  to  effect  one  in  your  fentiments 
4C  towards  me.  Nor  was  tl^s  the  only  allure- 
44  ment  you  placed  before  me.  Alas  !  you  em- 
44  ployed  a  more  dangerous  one  itill,  by  en- 
44  deavouring  to  unite  the  duties  of  religion 
44  and  worldly  affection.  You  went  fo  far  as 
44  to  affure  me,  that  my  facrifice  would  be  ac- 
44  ceptable  to  God  himfelf ;  who,  you  fay, 
44  fent  us  into  this  world  for  the  benefit  of  fo- 
4i  ciety  ;  fo  that  we  have  no  more  right  to  ab- 
4t  ilracl  ourfelves  from  it,  than  we  have  to  lay 
41  v  down  our  life  when  we  are  weary  of  it. 
<44  The  world,  you  told  me,  abounds  with 
44  pure  and  focial  delights;  but  they  can  be  on- 
,4t  ly  enjoyed  by  thofe  who  hold  an  intercourfe 
->4  with  it.  Yet  have  you  not  fometimes,  my 
;44  dear  friend,  inadvertently  owned  to  me  that 
^  you  are  not  happy  ? — And  if  YOU,  formecl 


A    N  O  V  E  L,  75 

*'  by  nature  for  all  its  bleilTngs,  are  not  fo, 
6t  .haw  can  you  imagine  that  I,  a  itranger  even 
4t  in  idea,  ihould  be  willing  to  renounce  for  it 
frfc  a  way  of  life  that  I  have  been  taught  to  be- 
u  Jic'/e  is  preferable  to-  every  other?  You 
**  went  fo  far  as  to  affure  me,  that  your  heart 
44  has  m-ade  its  choice,  and  unfortunately  fixed 
"  itfelf  where  it  has  no  hope  of  return.  That 
<c  the  only  man  to  whom  you  could  wiih  to 
u  unite  yourfelf  is,  as  you  have  every  reafon 
6t  to  believe,  attached  eifewhere  ;  and  that 
u  you  fafpecl,  from  the  hints  he  has  given, 
44  that  the  object  of  his  love  is —  married  I 

44  Would  not  this  idea,  my  clearMifs  Stuart, 
u  rather  frighten  a  young  novice  from  the 
*4  world,  than  encourage  her  to  enter,  it  ? — I 
44  have  read  of  love,  though  I  never  felt  its  in* 
44  fluence  ;  and  I  am  thankful  that  I  have  nei- 
Ai  ther  the  inclination  ncr  the  power  to  add, 
44  one  to  its  nmnberlefs  victims." 

Lady  Jane  perufed  this  part  of  the  letter 
with  particular  emotion  ;  ihe  too  furely  guefibd 
that  it  alluded  to  G.lencairn  and  herfelf,  of 
which  ihe  was  fully  convinced  when  Mifs  Stu 
art  aiked  her  What  Jhe  thought  of .  Gltncalrn  ? 
This  queftion,  which  might  not  have  paffed  for 
fingular,  had  it  not  been  accompanied  with  an 
uneafy  air  of  conftraint  that  denoted  an  over 
•anxious  curioilcy,  fuftufcd  Lady  Jane's  coun 
tenance  with  confcious  bluihes,  that  did  not 
«fcape  the  penetrating  eyes  of  Mifs  Stuan. 
Each  had  fpoken  fuiHciently  plain  to  be  under 
stood  by  the  other,  rhat  neither  was  fatisfi.ed* 
G  2 


76          THE    -CONTRAST: 

Lady  Jane's  filence.  and  vifible  embarrafFment 
were  as  expreiiive  as  could  be  the  mod  eloquent 
language.  The  letter  had  thrown  them  into  a 
ftute  of  uneafy  perplexity  ;  it  had  dlilurbed 
their  peace,  and  was  from  that  moment  the 
lubject  to  both  of  many  paint ul  reflexions. 

Lady  Jane  frequently  met  Glencairn  ;  and 
ir.e  could  not  perceive  without  emotion,  and 
Ibrrow,  the  tender  langour  that  clouded  his  fine 
countenance;  coniidering  as  Hie  did,  that  his 
attachment  to  her  was  the  fole  caufe  of  it.  Her 
heart  feenied  divided  between  him  and  Lord 
Darnley.  She  was  unconfcious  of  giving  the 
preference  to  either,  and  fhe  indulged  the  pure 
fentiments  of  innocent  afteclion  for  both.  Mrs. 
Martindale  was  continually  fabricating  tales  to 
her  difad vantage  ;  me  reprefented  Lord  Darn- 
ley  to  her  acquaintance  as  an  unprincipled  li 
bertine,  who  had  taken  an  advantage  of  the  in 
troduction  fhe  bad-given  him  in  her  houfe,  and 
had  endeavoured  by  hints  too  plain  to  be  mif- 
coriftrued,  to  i 'educe  her  affections  from  it.  She 
iinccrely  wiihed,  ihe  faid,  that  Lady  Jane 
might  not  be  deceived  in  the  more  favourable 
opinion  ihe  had  formed  of  him  ;  for  fhe  intimat 
ed  that  her  lady  fhip  entertained  a  very  high  one. 
Mrs.  Martindale  did  not  openly  inveigh  a  gain  ft 
her,  for  that  might  have  led  to  a  conviction 
of  the  truth;  but  fhe  wounded  her  under  the 
niafk  of  apparent  regard  ;  and  while  fhe  flatter 
ed  and  careiled  her,  fhe  murdered  her  repofe^ 
ar*d  meditated  her  final  ddhr.dio.iv 


A.    NOVEL. 


CHAP.     XVIII. 


THESE  ladies  continued  to  be  as  much 
together  as  formerly,  and  time  appeared 
to  have  aimoft  obliterated  the  remembrance^  of 
Lord  Darnley ,  when  a  circumftance  interfered- 
that  was  laudable  in  its  caufe,  but  mod  pernici 
ous  in  its  effect.  Lady  Jane  had  as  I  before  obd 
ferved)  negleded  mentioning  to  her  huibaad 
the  promife  fhe  had  made  him,  of  fometimes 
vifiting  his  daughter.  Her  time  had  indeed 
been  fo  much  taken  up  with  other  engagements, 
that  fhe  had  not  yet  found  a  leifure  hour  to  at 
tend  to  it.  She  however  one  morning  felt  a 
•firong. inclination  to  fee  the  child  ;  ordered  the 
carriage,  and  went  to  Padciington.  She  found 
the  little  cherab  looking  perfectly  well,  and 
ftaid  with  it  above  an  hour.  She  then  defired 
the  nurfe  would  make  Mifs  Darnley,  and  her- 
i-elf,  ready  to  accompany  her  ;  that  ihe  would 
take  them  for  an  airing  a  little  farther  on  the 
road,  and  fet  them  down  on  her  return. 

They  had  not  proceeded  half  a  mile,  before 
they  v,  c/s  met  by  IV^rs.  Martindale's  carriage, 
who  was  in  it,  with  her  old  man.  They  both 
flopped  ;  and  Mrs.  Martindale,  giving  a  iig- 
nificant  look  at  her  hufbancl,  obferved,  How. 
extreamly  odd  it  was,  that  they /bould  meet  by 
accident  on  th?  fame  road.  Her  eyes  were  in- 
G  3 


7?          THE     CONTRAST: 

fhnily  dircQed  to  the  nurfe  and  child  ; 
both  of  them  appearing  in  deep  mourning,  diet 
not  leave  a  doubt  who  they  were.  She  propo- 
fed  iheir  returning  in  Lady  Jane's  coach,  and 
fending  back  their  own  ;  which  was  complied 
with.  Her  motive  for  doing  this,  was  to  dif- 
cover  where  the  child  lived.  But  in  that  {he 
was  disappointed  ;  Lady  Jane  having  determin 
ed  at  that  moment  to  take  it  to  Argyle-iireeir. 
She  therefore  ordered  the  coachman  to  drive 
tli ere,  telling  the  nurfe  Ihe  would  lend  them 
ilife  back  in  the  evening,. 

As  foon  as  me  returned  home,  me  fent  the 
nurle  into  the  Steward's  room,  and,  taking 
the  child  in  her  arms,  went  into  Mr.  Martin* 
dale's  drafting- room,  and  begged  leave  to  in 
troduce  a  ftranger  to  his  acquaintance,  the 
i n fa,nt  daughter  of  Lord  Darnley.  She  faid 
this  with  a  vifible  confufion,  which  arofe  in 
confeqnence  of  feeling  heri elf  obliged  to  relate 
the  circnmftance  of  meeting  Mr.  and  Mrs* 
Martindale,  without  which  it  was  poflible  for 
him  to  furmiie  that  he  would  not  have  been 
informed  of  her  viiit.  He  took  but  little  no- 
rice  of  the  fmileing  girl,  who  was  in  the  even 
ing  recondu&ed  with  her  nurfe,  to  the  plact 
of  their  deiiination, 


A    NOVEL, 


CHAP:      xix. 


TH  E  gentle  Mifs  Stuart  became  everjr 
day  more  attached  to  Giencairn,  while 
Mr.  Coutenay,  an  intimate  acquaintance  of  her 
father's  was  as  pallioiiateiy  in  love  with  her. 
Mr.  Courtenay  was  a  gentleman  of  Ireland,  of" 
confidenible  fortune,  but  defcended  from  an 
obfcure  family,  and  many  years  older  than  Mifs. 
Smart.  Yet  inch  was  the  nature  of  Mary,  that 
thefe  difadvantao-es,  had  even  the  want  of  mo- 

£>        ™ 

ney  been  annexed  to  them,  would  have  been 
no  impediment  to  her  union  with  him,  had  her 
father  wiihed  it,  and  her  affe£bions  been  difen- 
gaged.  But  (he  cherifhed  the  flatterer,  Hope. 
She  believed  ail  that  it  fuggefted,  and  ihe  real 
ly  thought  that  me  fhould  yet  fee  the  dayr 
when  Giencairn  would  renounce  his  attach 
ment,  of  which  Ihe  was  no  longer  uncertain  as 
to  the  object.  Alas  !  the  rofes  began  once 
more  to  fade  on  her  lavely  cheek  ;  her  fpirits 
gradually  forfook  her ;  and  her  father,  per 
ceiving  both,  at  length  tenderly  queftioned  her. 
He  mentioned  Giencairn,  and  entreated  to  be 
informed  of  the  fituatioa  of  her  mind,  refpecl:- 
ing  him. 

Mifs  Stuart's  heart  repofed  on  the  bofom  of 
thiv  indulgent  father  j  flie  acknowledged  to.  hiia 


So          THE     CONTRAST: 

lier  attachment  for  Glencairn  ;  but  fhe  allured 
him,  that  me  poiTefled  too  much  pride  ever  to 
futter  that  attachment  to  overcome  her  reafon. 
She  had  obferved  an  indifference  in  his  manner 
towards  her,  that  had  coniiderably  augmented 
fmce  their  return  to  England;  and  ihe  was  de 
termined  rather  to  facrificeher  peace  for  ever, 
than  to  confent,  were  he  even  to  urge  it,  t» 
owe  the  happinefs  of  being  his,  to  a  fentirnent 
of  pity  oniy,  with  which  ihe  might  inipire 
him.  Glencairn's  heart  was,  ihe  was  well 
allured,  devoted  to  another.  She  did  not  wiih 
to  dilavow  that  bz  alone  would  ever  remain  the 
object  of  her  rnofl  fervent  affections  ;  bat  fhe 
would  never  owe  the  gratification  of  indulging 
them  to  the  chance  that  deprived  him  of  poi- 
feffing  that  more  fortunate  woman,  and  to  a 
fentiment  that  mult  render  her  acceptance  of 
him  defpicable  in  her  own  eyes,  and  ftill  more 
fo  in  her  father's. 

Sentiments  fuch  as  thefe  could  not  fail  to 
Strengthen  in  Colonel  Stuart,  that  opinion  of 
his  lovely  daughter,  \vhichhadhitherto  fallen 
little  ihort  of  adoration.  He  coincided  in  all  ihe 
faid,  and  gloried  in  the  accomplishment  of  his 
wifhes.  For  what  wiih  coulu  be  fo  dear  to  him, 
as  that  of  feeing  his  Mary,  though  ftruggling 
with  itrong  pallkms,  heroic  enough  to  fubcFu* 
them  ?  He  preiled  her  to  his  boforn,  ond  affijr- 
ed  her,  that  he  preferred  her  happinefs  to  eve 
ry  worldly  confideration  ;  but  that  there  was 
one  beyond  the  limits  of  this  life,  which  hung 
heavy  on  his  mind.  He  alluded  to  the  period 
of  his  own  exiftance,  which  from  the  courfe  oi 


A    NOVEL.  81 

nature,  and  his  own  habitual  complaints,  was 
not  likely  to  be  prolonged  many  years.  To 
fee  his  Mary  fettled,  was  to  enfure  a  happy 
termination  of  his  days  ;  to  leave  her  without 
a  protestor,  would  embitter  his  laft  moments, 
the  approach  of  which  he  wifhed  to  meet  with 
out  a  pang,  as  they  battened  him  to  a  re-union 
with  her  angelic  mother  ! 

As  he  littered  the  laft  fentence,  the  tears 
quivered  in  his  expreffive  eyes,  and  gently  for 
ced  their  paiTage  down  his  venerable  cheeks. 
Mary  felt  the  weight  of  his  argument,  but 
could  not  command  refolution  enough  to  fay 
ihe  would  accept  the  thrice-proffered  hand  of 
Mr.  Courtenay:  (he  conjured  the  Colonel  never 
to  mention  the  fubjed  of  their  converfation  to 
any  one;  and  ihe  ftill  hoped,  ihe  faid,  that 
(he  might  be  at  length  enabled  to  eradicate  from 
her  mind  thofe  ideas  which  me  had  hitherto  fo 
rafhly  and  fo  fondly  entertained.  But  ihe  did 
not  tell  him  ALL  ihe  thought;  her  heart  had 
made  its  election,  and  ill e  knew  that  every  en 
deavour  would  be  vain  to  contend  againft  it. 
She  inwardly  determined  to  cheriih  the  remem 
brance  of  Gleiicairn,  and,  leaving  the  chance 
of  their  future  union  to  himfelf ,  me  in  fecret 
refolved  never  to  enter  into  an  engagement  that 
might  on  her  iide  impede  k» 

It  was  impoilible  for  Glen  cairn  to  be  ignor 
ant  of  the  attachment  he  had  infpired,  neither 
did  he  attempt  to  appear  fo.  He  deeply  la 
mented  it,  and,  with  a  candcur  feldom  pra&if- 
ed  among^  elegant  young  men,  he  allured  Co* 


CONTRAST: 

lonel  Stuart  that  his  friendship  for  the  lovely 
Mary  exceeded  even  the  bounds  of  brotherly 
love.  He  w iihed,  he  faid,  for"  the  fake  of 
his  own  peace,  and  he  believed  he  might  with 
out  vani;:y  include  that  of  Mary  alfo,  that 
his  heart  had  not  been  entangled  in  a  fatal  .at 
tachment",  from  whence  he  was  never  likely  to 
derive  a  hope  of  happinefs  ;  he  added,  that  he 
had  too  delicate  a  fenfe  of  honour  to  offer  her 
his  hand,'  while  he  had  not  a  heart  to  beftow 
with  it.  Mils  Stuart,  he  juftly  obferved, 
merited  the  firft  offerings  of  the  pureit.  How 
could  he  propofe  to  make  her  wretched,  by 
endeavouring  to  unite  her  to  a  man  who  had  it 
not  in  his  power  to  forget  another  ;  and  for 
whom  his  love  was  fo  criminal,  that  at  the 
£ame  time  he  owned  it  to  his  friend,  he  felt  a 
degree  of  remorfe  at  leait  equal  to  it  ? 

Colonel  Stuart  lincerely  pitied,  and  endea 
voured  to  footh  him,  :or  he  .00  had  once  felt 
the  force  of  an  :.-:  ubie  attachment.  lie 
propoied  their  in  r-  /returning  to  Scot 

land,  where  thne,  d'. italics  fro  ;n  the  beloved 
object,  and  the  growing  o  s  of  Maryr 

might  poffibly  lead  linn  to  a  recovery  of  his 
r-eaibn.  Alas,'5  replied  Glencairn,  "  how  can 
u  I  expect  the  countenance  of  your  tv  <  »ve  &• 
i4  rous  regard  ?  Were  I  to  return  with  youta 
4t  that  feat  of  innocence  and  virtue,  fhould  I 
"  notiniult  the  feelings  of  your  angelic  daugh- 
u  ter  ?  Sould  I  not  carry  with  me  there  the 
u  wound  that  Lady  Jane  Martindale  has  made 
u  in  my  peace  ? — Yes,  my  dear  Sir,  you  are 
u  entitled  to  my  confide  nce?  and  you*  fhail 


A    NOVEL.  83 

^  \v  holly  pofTefs  it.  It  was/£<?  who  firft  infpi- 
•£4  red  me  with  love  ;  to  her  I  am  , determined 
"  to  devote  my  exiftence  ;  and  for  her  fake  a- 
a  lone,  I  will  forego  the  happinefs  that  flatter- 
44  ing  fortune  has  placed  within  my  view.  I 
*4  will  bid  an  .everl ailing  adieu  to  the  all- 
44  fafcinating  Mary  :  I  will  pray  to  Heaven 
"  that  fh«  may  fix  her  choice  on  a  more  fortu- 
••"  nate  man  ;  and  that  ilie  may  forget,  yes, 
44  for  ever  forget,  the  one  who  now  reliquifh- 
44  es,  becaufe  he  feels  himfelf  unworthy  of 
••"  her." 

Colonel  Stuart  liftened  with  aftoniflimcnt  te 
^the  confeilion  he  had  heard  ;  and  when  he 
.reflected  that  Glencairn's  fole  dependence  was 
on  himfelf,  his  heart  was  filled  with  the  fond- 
eft  eiteem  for  his  charatier.  Souls,  he  faid, 
fuch  as  thole  of  Glencairn  and  his  daughter, 
were  furely  paired  in  heaven.  Earthly  viciifi- 
tudes  might  for  a  time  feperate,-  but  never 
.could  wholly  dilunite  them  ;  and  his  mind, 
fanguine  as  Mary's,  flill  prefaged  a  certainty  of 
future  felicity.  But,  from  Glencairn,  no 
thing  could  be  at  prefentexpeded.  When  Co- 
lonel  Stuart  .law  that  he  was  bent  in  following 
his  fate,  he  infifted,  in  token  of  their  mutual 
fnendinip,  as  well  as  of  the  tender  regard  he 
bore  to  the  memory  of  his  deceafed  father,  that 
he  fhould  accept  from  him  a  fmall  annuity  of 
one  hundred  pounds ;  and  he  extorted  from 
liim  a  promiie,  that  fliould  he  perceive  any  al 
teration  in  his  fentiments  refpecting  Lady  Jane 
Martindale,  that  he  would  return  to  him  as 
his  fan.  To  fpare  the  delicacy  of  Mary,  it  wa.s 


«4  THE     C  O  N  T  R  A  S  T< 

neceflTary  to  invent  fome  planfible  (lory  ;  antl, 
they  agreed  to  inform  her,  that  unforefeen  bn- 
Onefs  relative  to  a  friend  in  Scotland  (whom 
they  named)  would  detain  Glencairn  longer  in 
London,  than  it  would  be  convenient  for  the 
Colonel  to  ftay  there.  She  received  the  intel 
ligence  with  lefs  furprife  than  they  expected, 
and  her  father  fignified  to  her  his  intention  o 
returning  to  Aljanbank  the  week  follow 
ing. 

'On  the  evening  before  they  were  to  fet  out, 
they  all  appeared  alike  affefted  at  their  approch- 
ing  feparation.  Glencairn  knew  too  well  his 
influence  over  the  heart  of  Mary,  not  to  dread 
that  her  feelings  would  be  overpowered  by  it ; 
and  he  mentioned  as  by  chance  to  the  Colonel, 
before  her,  that  he  hoped  to  join  them  in  Scot 
land  within  a  month.  While  he  fpoke,  hecaft 
a  fide-look  at  Mifs  Stuart  ;  he  faw  her  colour 
.change,  and  the  tears  which  me  vainly  endea 
voured  to  fupprefs.  run  down  her  cheeks. 
He  haftily  called  for  a  candle;  pretended  a 
drowfinefs  he  was  never  farther  from  feeling, 
and  rofe  to  take  his  leave.  He  killed  Mifs 
Stuart  with  the  mol\  fervent  affection  ;  preffed 
the  Colonel's  hand  to  his  heart ;  and  a  tear 
fell  on  it  :  he  foftly  articulated  the  word  fare- 
-well"— and  retired  to  his  bed-chamber,  where 
he  threw  himfelf  on  the  fofa,  and  indulged  the 
jeffufions  of  a  heart  torn  by  angujjh  and  deffalre? 


N  O  V  E  L, 


€     H     A    P         XX. 


GLENCAIRN  remained  near  an  hour  in 
this  itate  of  agonizing  reflection,  and  . 
at  length  roufed  from  it  by  hearing  Colonel 
Stuart  and  his  daughter  retire  to  their  apart 
ments.  He  had  been  reflecting  feriouily  ou 
his  prefent  fituation,  and  on  every  thing  that 
had  pafTed  ;  but  above  all,  on  the  fatherly  ten- 
.dernefs  he  had  ever  experienced  from  Colonel 
Stuart,  and  the  recent  proof  of  it ;  on  the  fiii- 
eere  affection  of  his  lovely  daughter  ; — on  the 
lunation  of  Lady  Jane  Martindale— a  married 
'woman  /—on  the  diinpated  courfe  of  life  ihe 
led  ; — the  cold  indifference  with  which  me  ap 
peared  to  receive  his  lad  vifit  ; — and  the  hints 
that  had  been  given  him,  which  gained  ground 
every  day,  and  appeared  to  taint  the  purity  of 
her  character.  All  thefe  considerations  darted 
like  a  ray  of  light  on  his  bewildered  mind,  and 
he  formed  the  RESOLUTION  to  throw  himfelf 
at  the  fame  moment  at  Colonel  Stuart's  feet, 
and  to  implore  from  him  the  hand  of  his  daugh 
ter.  It  was  a  fudden  and  a  violent  decifion, 
that  admitted  not  of  reflection.  He  dreaded  to 
meet  with  opposition  from  his  heart,  mould  he 
confult  it ;  he  was  no  Granger  to  its  weeknefs, 
.  and  he  felt  that  it  required  all  his  fortitude  to 
enable  him  to  accompliih  his  prefent  purpofe-* 
H 


THE     C  O  N  L  R  A  S  T; 

Fired  by  the  momentary  impulfe,  he  went 
to  the  door  of  Colonel  Stuart's  apartment,  and 
gently  knocking  there,  requeited  adiniflipn, 
and  attention  to  what  Ije  had  to  communi 
cate. 

The  Colonel  was  not  in  bed  ;  he  had  juft  ri- 
fen  from  his  knees,  where  it  was  his  nightly 
cultom  to  proftrate  himielf  before  his  God,  in 
fervent  meditation.  He  was  iomewhat  iurprif- 
ed  at  feeing  Glencairn,  who  had  not  yet  begun 
to  undrsfcs,  and  who,  apologizing  for  his  in- 
trufion,  proceeded  to  fupplicate  that  he  migli£ 
find  in  him  the  tender  advocate,  not  the  i  nil  ex*, 
ible  judge. 

He  then  told  him  that  the  purport  of  his  nocr 
turnal  vitit  was  to  implore  once  more  his  farther 
protection  and  advice.  He  begged  that  he 
would  aflift  him  to  follow  his  own  example, 
and  point  out  to  him  the  path  of  rectitude  which 
ihould  direct  him  to  ihun  the  dangerous  practi 
ces  of  a  world  he  had  already  reaibu  to  fuppofe 
a  deceitful  one.  He  allured  him,  that  he  had 
feriouily  pondered  on  the  fentiments  of  his 
heart,  and  was  convinced  that  on  the  exertions 
of  his  reaibn  his  future  happinefs  depended,  j^e 
was  now  determined  to  purfue  that  line  of  con- 
ducl  that  would  be  molt  pleaiing  to  his  friend 
and  benefactor,  and  was  come  to  intreat  his 
permiilion  to  return  with  him  to  Scotland; 
where  he  doubted  not  but  reaibn  would  loon 
teach  him  to  overcome  a  mad  attachment,  of 
which  he  had  feen  the  folly,  and- was  therefore 
refblved  to  fubdue. 


A    N  O  V  E  L  87 

Colonel  Stuart  learned  with  rapture  this  hap 
py  aiVn ranee  of  his  pupil's  return  to  virtue  ;  and 
Ib  indulgent  was  this  excellent  man  to  thole 
failings  he  had  never  known,  that  he  would 
have  confidered  hirnfelf  the  author  of  his  cle- 
itruction,  had  he  not.  accepted  his  proffered  re 
pentance.  How  many  virtuous  minds  are  de- 
itroyed  hy  the  want  of  this  indulgence  !  and 
how  much  morejandable  is  it  in  a  parent,  or  a 
friend,  to  draw  a  veil  over  the  faults  of  youth, 
than  to  expoie  them  in  the  face  of  day,  and, 
inilead  of  diminiihing,  augment  them  by  their 
tinkinclnefs  I  What  a  contrail  to  thole  charac 
ters  in  fuch  a  man  as  Colonel  Stuart  !  He 
might  be  juftly  described  as  pplTeifing  a  thou- 
fand  virtues,  without  a  fingle  fault  ;  or,  if  he 
HAD  a  fault,  it  proceeded  from  the  unbounded 
benevolence  of  his  heart,  which  taught  him  re 
view  mankind  in  general  \vith  an  eye  of  affecti 
on,  of  which  few  were  defer ving.  But  though 
he  had  experienced  like  others  the  poifonous 
effects  of  ingratitude,  he  had  not  yet  learned  to 
think  ill  even  of  tkoie  who  had  proved  them- 
felves  unworthy  of  having  known  him,  His 
houfe,  his  heart,  and  his  purfe,  were  alike  ex 
tended  to  all  ;  and  it  was  fortunate  for  himfelf, 
and  his  family,  that  he  was  a  ftranger  in  the 
gay  world,  where  he  muft  have  inevitably  fal 
len  a  prey  to  the  defjgning.  His  way  of  life 
was  fuited  to  his  lituation  and  circumitancest 
and  that  life  was  fpent  in  doing  good. 

It  is  no  wonder,  then,  that  Glencairn,  who 

poiTeiTd  his  moil  tender  regard  ihould   not  meet 

with  any    difficulty    in    perfuading   him  of  the 

lability  of  his  inclinations.     They    parted  for 

H  2 


£3          TMF     C  G  N  T  R  A  S  T; 

the  right  under  the  moft  comfortable  fenfati- 
on>  ,  '-Le  ULC,  fads/led  that  he  had  aftecl  up  to 
hit,  -jtity  ;  the  oilier,  ihat  he  had  faved  a  ge 
nerous  mind  irom  perdition.  Colonel  Stuart 
fancied  that  he  had  (hatched  Glencairn  from 
the  edge  of  a  precipice  ;  and  Glencairn  fancied 
that  he  had  fubdued  every  blameable 
perifity — Alas,  poor  human  nature  ! 


A    N  O  V  E  L. 


CHAP.       XXI. 


WH  E.  N  Mifs  Stuart  rofe  in  the  morn 
ing,  (he  was  fin-prized  that  Glencairn 
was  to  accompany  them.  Her  heart  rejoiced, 
as  (he  interpreted  this  change  in  his  intention:; 
to  the  impoilibility  he  found  of  leaving  her. 
Their  journey  was  a  pleafant  one  ;  it  was  whol 
ly  undift  ill-bed  by  care  or  regret,  for  fhe  had 
left  nothing  in  London  that  could  tempt  her  to 
wiili  ever  to  return  there.  But  her  fenllihility 
\vas  painfully  tried,  when  fhe  firft  beheld  Al- 
lanbank.  The  old  houfe-keeper,  who  had  li 
ved  there  ever  fmce  the  Colonel's  marriage, 
welcomed  her  home  with  unfeigned  joy.  She 
conducted  her  towards  the  apartment  that  had 
been  formerly  her  late  mii'trelVs ;  but  when 
they  approached  the  door  of  it,  Mifs  Stuart 
gave  a  taint  fhriek,  and  fainted  in  her  arms. 
The  worthy  Mrs.  MfcKenzie  was  alarmed,  but 
-would  not  open  the  ill-clofed  wounds  ofh.tr 
venerable  matter's  heart,  by  making  him  wit- 
nefs  a  fcene  that  ihe  knew  woukl  be  only  mo 
mentary.  She  returned  to  the  room  where  Ihe 
had  left  the  gentlemen,  and  giving  an  exprei- 
-five  look  at  Giencairn,  he  inttantly  follower 
her.  She  conducted  him  np  ttairs,  where  they 
found  Mifs  Stuart  attended  by. -a  hbufe-maid, 
uud  beginning  to  recover.  Gleneaira  flew  to 


90          THE     C  O  N  T  R  A  S  T: 

fnpport  her  with  the  tendered  care.  She  rail 
ed  her  fine  eyes,  firll  to  Heaven,  as  if  to  invoke 
the  fainted  fplrit  of  her  mother,  and  then  turn 
ed  them  with  ineffable  fvveetn els  upon  him  ;  lie 
felt  all  that  ihe  would  exprefs,  and  his  feelings 
were  worked  up  to  the  higheft  pitch  of  grate 
ful  en  thufiafrn.  He  involuntariiy  dropped  on 
one  knee  before  her,  and  taking  her  hand  in 
his,  he  fupplicated  the  Almighty  to  ftrengthen 
himinhisrefolution,  that  he  would  never,  ne 
ver  for  fake  her  !  He  arofe  \vhen  he  had  ut 
tered  this  prayer.  It  came  from  the  inmoft  re- 
ceiies  of  his  heart,  and  had  been  pronounced 
in  too  awful  a  manner  for  him  to  retracl  it; 
neither  would  he  have  done  fo  at  that  moment, 
for  the  poffeiTion  of  Lady  Jane  Martindale  her- 
leif..  Mifs  Stuart  had  heard  the  blelTed  found  ; 
It  funk  from  her  ear  to  her  heart ;  ihe  received., 
and  cheriihed  it  there,  as  an  old  friend  whom 
ihe  had  been  long  expecting,  and  who  was  at 
length  returned  to  forfake  her  no  more. 

She  Was  now  enabled  to  look  over  her  apart 
ment  with  more  compofi.re.  Her  piano-forte 
had  been  placed  there  by  the  Colonel's  order, 
that  flie  might  be  reconciled  to  the  light  of  it. 
Glencairn  went  to  his  flute,  and  they  palled  an 
hour  in  that  happy  harmony  proceeding  from 
the  union  of  fouls.  When  alone,  Glencairn, 
took  the  opportunity  of  offering  his  heart  and 
hand  to  Mary.  With  what  modeft  joy  did  ihe 
accept  the  tender  ailurances  of  both  !  She  long 
ed  to  rum.  into  her  father's  arms,  and  tell  him 
of  her  promiled  felicity;  but  virgin  delicacy 
laid  areilraiat  on  her  inclinations,  and  ihe  left 


A    NOVEL.  9, 

to  Glencairn  the  blefled  tafk  of  making  him  hap 
py  ;  for  Hie  well  knew  that  hlsjieart,  like  her 
own,  Lad  been  long  fet  on  their  union.  He 
was  not  lefs  anxious  than  herfelf  to  irnparn 
their  converfation  to  the  Colonel,  which  he  did 
not  however  find  an  opportunity  of  doing,  till 
after  Mils  Stuart  had  left  them  for  the  night. 

Colonel  Stuart  received  the  declaration  with 
an  air 'of  referve  that  fr.rprized  Glencairn,  ai.d 
filled  him  with  confuiion.  He  clefired  that  he 
\vould  allow  himfeif  time  to  reflect  ferioufly  on 
the  nature  of  the  iblcmn  engagement  into  which 
he  Ib  fuddealy  and  fo  lightly  appeared  to  wifli 
to  enter.  lie  coniidered  it,  he  laid,  a  duty  in 
cumbent  on  him  to  adinonifh  them  both,  and 
to  exhort  them  to  do  nothing  raihiy  ;  and 
how  could  he  avoid  believing  that  Glencairn: 
.  only  deceived  hnnielf  in  his  preient  ideasr 
\vhen  little  more  than  a  week  had  elapfed  fincehe 
had  in  the  molt  ingenuous  manner  acknowledg- 
ed  his  inviolable  attachment  to  Lady  Jane  Mar 
tin  dale  ?  How  was  he  to  reconcile  fuch  incon- 
iiilencies  ? — Ke  added,  that  he  had  too  high 
an  opinion  of  the  mind  he  had  taken  pride  and 
pleasure  to  adorn,  to  imagine  for  a  moment 
that  felf-intreft  would  have  the  power  to  bias 
one  of  his  actions  ;  at  the  fame  time  he  owned 
that  his  daughter  was  in  that  point  worchy  his 
attention  ;  and  if  he-doubted  his  love  for  her, 
it  proceeded  from  a  fear  that  he  did  not  know 
bimiVif  iufficiently  to  be  able  toanfwerfor  hb 
future  conduct  towards  her  throughout  life. 

Glencairn  endeavoured  to  wave  theie  feem- 


S2         THE     C  O  N  T  R  A  S  T: 

ing  obje&ions.  He  could  not,  he  faid,  difavow 
his  firfl  inclination,  but  he  had  (at  leaft  he 
thoiight  he  had)  fubdued  it.  They  parted  with 
a  proniife  from  the  Colonel,  that  in  the  conver- 
fation  he  fhould  have  \vith  Mifs  Str.art  on  the 
fubject,  he-would  not  fay  any  thing  that  might 
tend  to  impede  their  mutual '  happinefs.  In 
deed  the  Colonel  knew  enough  of  his  daughter's 
fentiments  to  be  convinced,  that  although  no 
thing  could  alter  her  love  for  Glencairn,  were 
he  once  to  exert  his  parental  authority,  and 
forbid  her  to  marry  him,  me  would  obey  him, 
though  at  the  certain,  ex  penfe  of  her  happinefs, 
and  the  probable  one  of  her  life. 

Colonel  Stuart,  the  next  morning,  when 
breakfaft  was  over,  requeued  his  daughter's  at 
tendance  in  his  (tudy,  where  they  remained  a 
confiderable  time,  during  which  Glencairn  did 
not  find  his  fituatiou  of  fufpenfe  perfectly  com 
fortable.  He  was  at  length  relieved  from  it  by 
their  appearance,  and  he  perceived  that  they 
had  both  been  in  tears-.  The  Colonel  took  a 
hand  of  each  of  his  children  (as  he  was  wont  to 
call  them),  and  joining  them,  he  with  humid 
eyes  beflovved  on  each  his  bleiTing.  He  could 
not  fay  much,  for  his  heart  was  full,  but  he 
defired  that  their  marriage  might  take  place  in 
two  months  from  that  time  ;  Ibme  neceiTary  ar 
rangement  with  refpecl  to  his  fortune  being  in- 
difpenfable  previous  to  that  event.  Glencairn 
fainted  the  blaming  Mary  ;  they  mutually, 
embraced,  and  thanked  the  Colonel,  and  the 
day  was  fpent  as  may  be  fuppofed  from  thefe 
virtuous  minds,  each  deriving  comfort  from 
the  happiaefs  of  the  Giber, 


A    NOVEL.  90 

Nothing  appeared  to  be  Wanting  at  Allen- 
bank  to  complete  the  extent  of  human  felicity. 
Mils  Stuart  became  more  interefting  as  fhe  was 
more  beloved  ;  for  though  Glencairri  \v as  con- 
fcious  that  he  fhould  not  lead  her  to  the  altar 
with  that  enthufiaftic  paffion  that  borders  on 
madnefs,  and  which  feldom  lafts  long,  his  e- 
fteem  for,  and  his  opinion  of  her  augmented 
daily  ;  and  Colonel  Stuart's  winter  of  life  which 
had  been  hurried  on  by  grief  more  than  age, 
appeared  on  this  occafion  to  be  impeded  in  its 
progrefs  by  a  renovating  fpring.  They  had 
few  viiitors  at  Allanbank  ;  forne  poor  Scotch 
lairds  were  their  principle  neighbours,  \vho 
having  never  gone  beyond  the  Highlands,, 
were  fo  ignorant  and  uninformed,  that  their 
fociety  was  rather  courted  through  benevo 
lence,  than  difclaimed  through  pride.  It  was 
the  intention  of  the  family  to  pafs  fome  of  the 
next  winter  months  at  Edinburgh.  The  Colo 
nel  had  a  numerous  acquaintance  therein  Mrs. 
Stuart's  lifetime  ;  butiince  he  had  loft  her,  and 
was  feparated  from  his  daughter,  he  neglected 
every  worldly  concern.  They  would  not,  how 
ever,  find  it  cliffici  It  to  meet  with  fociety, 
wherever  they  vifited  that  charming  city  ;  for 
their  virtues  fecured  them  friends,  wherever 
|hcy  appeared. 


THE     G  O  N  T  R  A  S  T; 


CHAP.        XXII. 


I  HAVE  already  oblerved,  that  the  conduct 
of  Mr.  Martindale  towards  La'dy  Jane 
was  wholly  altered.  A  viiible  coolnefs  had  ta 
ken  place,  and  her  ears  were  perpetually  aiiail- 
ed  by  the  enumeration  of  Mrs  Mardndaie's  vir~ 
tues.  Whatever  fhe  faid,  was  a  law  both  to 
her  hufoarid  and  his  fon,  and  Lady  Jane's  life 
became  more  infuppor  table,  as  her  fenfibility 
acquired  more  ftrength.  She  had  latterly  con 
tracted  an  intimacy  with  the  two  Mifs  Field- 
ings,  daughters  to  the  late  Admiral  of  that 
name.  They  had  been  intimates  of  Lady 
Darnley.  The  deleft  was  remarkably  accom- 
pliihed  ;  (lie  was  almoft  unrivalled  on  the  harp- 
ilcord,  and  feemcd  to  poiTefs  afoul  capable  of 
the  moft  refined  feminients.  Lady  Jane  was 
very  partial  to  this  young  lady,  who  appeared 
to  be  greatly  affected  by  her  fituation.  She 
frequently  mentioned  her  diflike  to  Mrs.  Mar 
tindale  ;  and  though  Lady  Jane  had  drictly  a* 
voided  even  hinting  at  her  mifconduct  with 
Lord  Darnley,  Mils  Fielding  gave  her  rea- 
ibn  to  fuppofe  that  ihe  was  not  ignorant  of 
it. 

It  was  now  Lent ;  and  Mifs  Fielding  was  ve 
ry  conftant  in  her  attendance  at  the  Oratorios. 


A    N  O  V  E  L.    .  95 

She  had  .one  evening  folicited  Lady  Jane's  com.. 
pan/  in  her  box  at  Dury-Lane,  who  had  lat 
terly  feldom  gone  into  public,  but  was  tempted 
to  accept  £he  invitation,  as  Giornovich,  whom 
Hie  had  never  feen,  was  to  play  there.  She 
had  heard  much  of  that  charming  performer, 
but  found  that  report,  fo-  kvifh  in  his  praife, 
was  yet  unequal  to  convey  ajuftidea  of  his  me 
rit.  It  was  The  Meffiah  that  was  performed  ; 
and  at  the  end  of  the  third  part  of  it,  that  di 
vine  mufician,,  with  an  enchanting  harmony 
that  can  .be  equalled  only  in  heaven,  varied  the 
plaintive  lullaby  in  a  manner  lo  exquifitely  pa 
thetic,  as  to  draw  tears  from  the  feeling  heart 
of  Lady  jane.  She  took  put  her  pencil,  when 
it  was  over,  and  wrote  on  the  back  of  a  letter 
the  following  extempore  lines  : 

Seraphic  ftniins  the  tender  feelings  move, 
And   Mufick  melts   the  foul  to    heav'n  borti 

love  ! 
Thy    powers,  oh     Giornovich  !  infpire      the 

breaft, 

And  give  the  wounded  mind  a  tranfient  reft  ; 
But,  while  thy  notes  impailion'd  bofoms  pleafe3 
They  find  the     cure  ftill  worie  than    the  dif- 

eafe ; 

Eor  ev'ry  time  thofe  founds  feraphic  ceafe, 
They  leave  a  new  invader  of  my  peace  ! 

She  had  juft  finifhed  the  firft  effort  of  her  poe 
tical  tale"nt,  which  Hie  intended  to  corredb  at 
It-ifure,  and  was  conveying  haftily  to  her  pock 
et,  when  the  box  door  opened,  and  Lord 
Darnley  made  his  unexpected  appearance.  £{p 


THE     CONTRAST: 

led  with  infinite  grace  to  the  Mifs  Field- 
nigs,  darted  a  contemptuous  look  on  Mrs.  Mar- 
tindale  (who  had  obtruded  herfelf  on  the  par 
ty,  from  a  very  flight  invitation),  and  with 
more  apparent  plealure  than  prudence  frniled 
on  Lady  Jane,  and  feated  himielf  immediately 
behind  her.  He  told  her,  he  had  been  in  town, 
but  a  few  hours ;  that  he  had  firil  vifited 
THEIR  little  charge,  and  then  called  in  Argyle- 
Street  ;  but  hearing  from  hef  fervants  that  ihe 
was  gone  to  Drury-Lane,  he  had  taken  the  li 
berty  to  follow  her  there. 

Mrs  Martindale  who  was  pretending  to 
adjuft  her  handkerchief,  did  not  lofe  a  word  of 
this  fpeech  ;  but  faid,  loud  enough  to  be  heard 
in  the  next  box,  That  -now  one  impediment 
was  removed,  on  hislordihip's  fide,  ihe  thought 
the  other  might  be  eafily  accompli ihed  ;  for  Ihe 
was  pretty  fure  that  young  Mr,  Martindale 
would  not  ha/e  much  objection  to  fee  his 
name  added  to  the  lift  of  happy  hufbands  in 
Doctors  commons.  This  was  too  grofs  an  m- 
fult  to  be  patiently  endured  ;  but  Lord  Darn- 
ley,  however  confufed,  was  too  well-bred  a 
man  to  recriminate.  Lady  Jane  faintly  aiked 
her  what  Ihe  meant ;  and  pleading  the  excef- 
live  heat  of  the  houfe  as  an  excufe  for  leaving 
the  Mifs  Fieldings,  requefted  Lord  Darnley 
(who  was  the  only  gentleman  in  the  box)  to 
fee  her  to  her  carriage,  where  ihe  infilled, 
however  relu&antly,  on  his  taking  his  leave. 

Mr.  Martindale  \vas  already  in  bed,  and  (lie 
was  .obliged  to  defer  fpeaking  to  him  till   morn- 


A    N  O  V  E  L  *7 

wig.  Mrs.  Drapery  informed  her,  that  Lord 
Darnley  had  been  there,  but,  on  finding  her 
ladyihip  was  out,  had  requeued  to  fee  her  wo 
man.  That  me  went  to  the  coach  door,  and 
he  aiked  her  many  queftions  about  the  (late  of 
the  family  ;  telling  her,  "  That  he  would  do 
"  handfomely  by  her,  if  fhe  would  keep  his 
44  fecret,  which  was,  to  tell  her  lady,  that  la 
44  confequence  of  letters  he  had  received  frem 
44  town,  which  mentioned  the  difagreeable  li- 
44  tuation  into  which  her  ladyihip  was  thrown 
"  by  the  machinations  of  Mrs.  Martindale,  he 
44  was  arrived,  fully  determined  to  protect  her 
44  with  his  life." 

Oldfon,  the  butler,  had  watched  this  inter 
view  ;  and  whether  jealoniy  of  Mrs.  Drapery, 
or  fome  other  fufpicion,  arofe  in  his  mind,  I 
know  not ;  but  he  infifted  on  her  telling  him  all 
that  had  panned.  Nay,  he  was  fo  refolved  on 
knowing  it,  that  he  even  threatened  Mrs.  Dra 
pery  to  retract  hispromife  of  marriage  to  her, 
if  ihe  did  not  immediately  confefs  every  thing 
to  him.  Any  other  menace  Mrs.  Drapery 
might  poilibly  have  withftood  ;  but  that  of  a 
difappointment  in  love  was  too  powerful.  She 
candidly  acknowledged  the  confidence  Lord 
Darnley  had  placed  in  her,  but  firit  obtained  a 
promife  from  Mr.  Oldfon  of  his  iilence  on  the 
iubjecl. 

He  wifhed  to  prefuade  her  not  to  mention  it 
to  her  lady  ;  but  this  trufty  confidante,  recol- 
lefting  LordDarnley's  ofteriiQdohQneftlyhyhtr, 
longed  for  the  moment  when  Jhe  fliould  be  at 


98  THE     CONTRAST: 

liberty  to  divulge  the  fecret  of  which  file 
been  till  then  in  painful    poffeffion. 

Lady  Jane  felt  aglow  of  fatisfaction  rife  on 
her  cheek,  as  fhe  liftened  to  Mrs.  Drapery's 
information.  Situate  as  fhe  then  was,  every 
proof  of  regard,  even  from  the  moft  indifferent  • 
perfon,  became  dear  to  her.  The  cruel  and 
unmerited  treatment  {he  every  day  endured, 
had  the  fame  effect  on  her  gentle  mind  that  a 
iloriny  fea  has  on  a  mariner.  Her  heart  panted 
for  reit,  for  (lie  faw  herfelf  environed  by  ene 
mies  where  me  might  naturally  have  expected 
friends.  She  felt  that  matters  were  drawing 
to  a  crifis,  that  would  Iboii  determine  her  fu 
ture  fate. 

The  next  morning  me  told  Mr.  Mtnrtindale 
of  theinfult  that  had  been  offered  to  her  at  the 
Oratorio.  He  feemed  perfectly  indifferent,  and 
laid  Ihe  might  thank  herfelf  for  it  :  that  when 
a  married  woman  had  once  openly  admitted  the 
addreiTes  of  another  man,  her  huiband  could 
noc  be  blamed  for  discarding  her.  That  he 
had  no  caufe  of  complaint  againft  Lord  Darn- 
ley,  as  he  conceived  that  he  had  acted  only  as 
every  other  gay  man  would  do  in  the  fame  ii- 
tnation  ;  and  he  finilhed  by  telling*  her  that  me 
was  perfectly  at  liberty  to  follow  Lord  Darn- 
ley's  fortunes  wherever  they  might  lead 
her.  t 

That  calm  ferenity  of  mind  which  had  ever 
Dignified  the  exemplary  character  of  Lady  Jane 
Martindale,  now  entirely  forfook  her.  She 


A     N  O  V  E  L.  99 

uttered  the  moft  piercing  complaints  aga'mft  her 
unfeeling  huiband  for  his  injultice  and  cruelty 
towards  her,  and  the  moil  bitter  invectives  a- 
gainil  the  infamous  Mrs.  Martindale  ;  and 
when  ihe  faw  that  it.  was  impoilibie  to  perfuade 
him  of  her  innocence,  fhe  found  it  neceiTary  to 
have  recourfe  to  meafures  the  inoft  repugnant 
to  her  feelings,,  and  at  once  to  declare  all  Ihe 
knew  :  ihe  then  entered  into  a  minute  detail  of 
the  intrigue  that  had  been  carried  on  between 
Mrs.  Martindale  and  Lord  Darnley  at  the 
French  milliner's  houfe. 

Mr.  Martindale  rang  for  his  hat,  and  went 
immediately  to  his  father's,  telling  Lady  jane 
he  fliould  return  prefently.  He  did  fo  ;  and 
his  countenance  was  inflamed  by  anger,  as  he 
alked  her,  "  How  me  dared  to  afperie  the  cha- 
ik  rader  of  of  a  virtuous  woman  ?"  She  had  en 
"  deavoured,  he  faid,  to  deftroy  that  of  Mrs. 
Martindale,  becaufe  ihe  had  refufed  to  become 
a  partner  in  her  vices.  She  was  jealous,  he 
fuppofed,  of  Mrs.  Martindale's  fnperior  beauty 
and  qualifications,  and  of  the  attention  Lord 
Darnley  had,  like  other  men,  paid  her.  He 
adviied  her  to  take  up  her  refidence  with 
THEIR  charge,  at  Paddington,  and  limited  her 
to  three  days  to  remove  her  effecls  from  his 
houfe  :  he  excepted  his  mother's  jewels,  which 
he  infilled  on  having  immediately  reftored  to 
him.  He  then  rang  the  bell,  which  was  an- 
fwercd  by  Oldfon,  whom  he  commanded  in  a 
peremptory  manner  no  longer  to  coniider  La 
dy  Jane  as  his  miilrefs,  and  to  make  known 
that  fuch  were  his  injunctions  to  all  the  other 

I    2 


ioo       -THE     CONTRAST: 

domeftics.  Oidfon  would  have  fpoken,  but- 
\vas  prevented  i>y  a  It; ok  that  forbade  all  pofRbi- 
J.ty  (if  a  reply.  He  then  ordered  a  chaiie  and 
four  fa  be  immediately  got  in  readinefs  from  the- 
nearer!  inn,  and  told  Oldfon  to  prepare  to  ac 
company  him. 

The  triumph  ofpaflion  was  foon  over;  and 
a  tear  of  pity,  and  perhaps  of   remaining   ten 
der  nefs  (which  he   ufed  every   eflort   to   fup- 
prefs),  fell  down  his  cheeks  as  he  took  hold    of 
Lady  Jane's  hand  :  when  turning  his  head  on 
the  other  fide,  he  bade    her  ar>  eternal  adieu, 
b^  chrc-vv  bank  notes  on  the  table   to  the  value 
v  t  hundred  pounds,  and  then  tore    himfelf 
her  in  a  paroxyfm  of  agony  that  fell  little 
fliort  of  her  own. 


A    N  O  V  E  L,  xci 


CHAP.        XXIII. 


N  a  moment  like  this,  how  wasLacly  Jane 
Martindale  to  proceed  ?  Were  I  to  aik  a 
hundred  people,  I  ihould  receive  a  hundred 
different  opinions  ;  but  Lady  Jane  had  no  time 
for  reflection.  The  arrow  had  been  aimed  at 
her  heart,  and  it  was  lodged  there.  She  order 
ed  Mrs.  Drapery  into  her  prefence  ;  who, 
with  many  tears,  befbught  her  to  compofe  her- 
felf.  She  defired  her  to  pack  up  in  a  box  by 
themfelves,  all  the  jewels  and  trinkets  that  old 
Mr.  Martindale  and  his  fon  had  once  given  to 
her,  but  of  which  me  was  no  longer  the  mif- 
treis  ;,  and  then  afked  as  a  favour,  what  but  two 
hours  before  me  had  a  right  to  command, 
that  one  of  the  fervants  might  go  for  a  hack 
ney  coach,  that  me  might  call  at  two  or  three 
places  me  thought  neceiTary,  while  her  wo 
man  was  packing  up  her  clothes,  asihe  defired. 
She  was  going  firft  to  fee  Mrs.  Martindale  ; 
for  though  her  noble  heart  ihrunk  from  the 
idea  of  fupplicating  her  enemy,  yet  fhe  thought 
it  a  duty  ihe  owed  herfelf,  to  explain  to  that 
lady,  as  matters  now  ftoodr  the  neceilky  that- 
had  driven  her  to  give  fuch  a  painful  explana 
tion  of  every  circnmftance  that  could  tend  to 
corroborate  her  own  innocence. 


io2        THE.   C  O  N  T  P.  A  S  T: 

Wirh  fwollea  eyes,  which  fhe  endeavoured 
as  much  as  poflible  to  conceal  by  her  long  lace 
vril,  (lie  :vcpp<;<>.  into  the  coach,  and  ordered  it 
t*>  Devonihire-Piace."  Alas  !  the  iervants  there 
had  not  only  received  orders  never  more  to  ad 
mit  her,  but  were  even  infolerit  enough  to  ex- 
prtis  before  the  coachman  their  alloniihment  at 
her  calling  there.  She  then  went  to  Mifs 
Fielding's  and  had  the  fatisfa&ion  to  find  that 
her  friend  was  at  home.  They  knew  nothing 
more  of  the  miiintelli^ence  than  what  had  pall 
ed  at  the  oratorio,  and  entreated  her  to  return 
home,  and  to  inform  them  the  next  morning 
in  \vhat  manner  it  had  been  fettled.  Lady 
jane,  ;if:er  a  fliort  vifit,  returned  to  Argyle-t 
Screct,  and  found  a  fervant  of  old  Mr.  Martin- 
dale's,  who  had  brought  a  note  from  his  foil, 
and  only  waited  for  an  anfwer  to  leave  town. 
In  it  he  defired  her  to  fend  him  an  inventory, 
directed  to  Ledftone,  of  the  things  me  had  left 
there,  which  he  faid  ihould  be  fent  to  her 
wherever  fhe  might  appoint,  as  he  was  going 
to  fell  that  eitate.  It  contained  alfo  a  requelt 
that  Ihc  would  qr.it  Argyle-Street  as  foon  as 
poilible  ;  and  that  me  would  not  attempt  mak 
ing  Mrs,  Drapery  the  companion  of  her  flights 
as  it  would  be  the  means  of  preventing  that  per - 
fon's  being;  reipectf  illy  fettled  with  Oidfon,and 
he  doubled  Lady  jane's  future  ability  of  re 
compensing  i^er,  if  ike  attempted  to  prevent 
ic. 

Lady  JanepoffeOTed  too  much  of  the  pride 
infeparable  from  a  noble  mind,  to  be  required 
a  third  time  to  quit  the  houfe.  She  eaiily 


A    NO  V  EL.  so? 

perceived  that  Drapery's  views  on  Qldfon  fu- 
perfedcdali  affection  for  herfelf ;  and  that  al 
though  he  would  willingly  have  fufFered  her 
for  the  prefent  to  accompany  her,  yet  he  fear 
ed  his  mailer's  difpleafure  were  fhe  to  do  fo. 

Lady  Jane- defined  Oldfon  to  change  for  her 
a  fifty  pounds  note  ;  ihe  gave  ten  to  Mrs.  Dra 
pery  more  than  was  due  to  her  for  the  trouble 
fhe  had  in  packing  up  her  things,  which  me 
defired  her  to  take  care  of  till  me  fentfor  them. 
Another  ten  ihe  gave  to  Oldfon  to  divide  a- 
mong  the  fervants,  befidestwo  guineas  for  him~ 
felf  ;  and  in  a  fit  of  wilddefpair,  unaccompani 
ed  by  a  {ingle  attendant,  and  without  having- 
taited  of  the  dinner  that  the  fervants  had  as 
iifual  prepared,  and  placed  before  her,  (he  fen t 
for  a  hackney  coach  at  ten  o'clock  at  night,  and 
ordered  the  coachman  to  drive  her  which  way 
he  pleafed,  till  ihe  Ihould  otherwife  dirctthirn, 


104  THE     CONTRAST 


CHAP.        XXIV. 


TH  E  coachman  proceeded  on  a  journey 
he  could  not  rightly  comprehend,  and  at 
length  (lopped  at  the  turnpike  beyond  W'jft- 
niinfter-bridge.  Lady  Jane  was  ruminating 
whither  me  Ihould  go,  when  ilie  was  roufed 
from  her  reverie  by  a  demand  for  the  toll. 
Her  memory  brought  feveral  perfons  to  her 
recollection,  but  ihe  dreaded  to  meet  with  a 
co©l  reception,  wherever  Ihe  appeared,  and 
made  known  her  ftory.  Of  Lord  Darnley's 
addrefs  ihe  was  ignorant,  and  the  latenefs  of 
the  hour  would  alone  have  prevented  her  cal 
ling  on  him.  She  defired  the  coachman  would 
drive  her  t©  Liffon  Green,  where  ihe  found 
that  the  family  was  already  in  bed.  She  knock 
ed  repeatedly,  and  at  length  with  fome  diffi 
culty  obtained  admiffion  into  the  nurfe's  bed 
chamber. 

She  apologized  for  her  unfeafonable  vifit, 
and  the  myftery  of  its  appearance,  difcharged 
the  coach,  and  lay  down  by  the  deeping  infant. 
But  ihe  could  neither  co-mpofe  herfelf,  nor  let 
the  nurfe,  till  ihe  ha-d  made  ibrne  enquiries  re- 
fpecling  Lord  Darnley.  The  anfwer  was  pro 
ductive  of  the  only  iatisfaction  it  was  at  that 
moment  in  her  power  to  receive,,  as  ihe  found 


A  NOVEL.  105 

tl*at  he  had  promifed  to  be  there  the  next  morn 
ing  by  twelve  o'clock,  She  ioon  after  doled- 
her  wearied  eyelids,  and.  funk  to  momentary: 
reft, 

/ 

Lord  Darnley  was  punctual  to  his  appointed- 
hour  ;  and  giving  his  horfe  to  the  groom,  ran 
eagerly  up  itaris.  Nothing  could  equal  his  a- 
rnazement  at  feeing  Lady  Jane  there,  pale, 
diihe veiled,  andhalf-drett,  fitting  with  his  child 
on  her  knee.  She  arofe  as  he  entered,  and 
giving  mifs  Darnley  into  the  nurfe's  arms,  de- 
iired  Ihe  would  retire  with  her  into  the  garden, 
while  ihe  fpoke  to  her  Lord.  But  when  ihe 
began  to  relate  her  mournful  tale,  fne  found 
herfelf  wholly  unable  to  proceed.  She  clafped 
her  hands  in  fpeechlefs  agony,  and  lifting  up 
her  eyes  to  Him  who  could  alone  fupport  and 
flrengthen  her  'in  the  hour  of  affliction,  fhe 
burft  into  tears. 

When  fhe  had  a  little  recovered  herfelf,  Ihe 
explained,  as  well  as  Ihe  was  able,  her  mule-- 
ierved  ficuation  ;  leaving  the  prefent  difpofal- 
of  herfelf  to  the  fuperior  judgment  of  Lord 
Darnley,  whole  protection  was  the  only  one 
ihe  could  now  claim.  He  took  her  hand,  and 
thanking  her  for  the  confidence  with  which 
ihe  honoured  him,  befought  her  per  million  to- 
go  inflantly  to  town  in  order  to  provide  for  her 
a  more  fuitable  apartment.  He  left  her,  and 
in.  lefs  than  three  hours  returned  in  a  poft> 
chaife,  in  which  Ihe  gladly  accompanied  hinv 
ihe  knew  not,  nor  cared  not  whither, 


io6        THE     CONTRA  S  T: 

The  temporary  refidence  that  Lord  Darnley 
had  procured  ibr  Lady  jane,  vv^s  at  a  lodging 
houfe  in  Great  Cumberland  Street  ;  and  he 
took  one  for  himielf  within  a  few  doors  of  it, 
which  happened  to  be  the  fame  n^t  had  been 
occupied  by  Colonel  St^oT  aiici  Ws  iamily.  But 
this  he  did  not  know  ;  id  not  choofing  at 
once  to  inform  Lady  Jane  of  his  being  fo  near 
a  neighbour,  fhe  alfo  remained  ignorant  of  it. 
Lord  Darnley  had  called  her  in  both  houfes 
Lady  Findlater,  and  faid  ihe  was  a  baronet's 
widow.  This  had  been  agreed  on  in  the  chaifer 
to  prevent  fufpicion  or  enquiry.  He  palled  fe- 
veral  hours  of  the  «Jay  with  her,  and  ihe  faw 
no  other  perfon.  His  valet,  who1  nfually  at 
tended  her,  was  a  new  one,  who  fortunately 
had  not  feen  or  heard  of  her  before.  But  it 
wasneceffary  to  intruft  the  nurfe,  who  was  a 
decent  woman,  and  to  be  depended  on.  She 
was  moreover  allured  that  ihe  would  lote^ier 
place  from  the  moment  there  was  the  leait  cauie 
to  fufpect  that  ihe  had  betrayed  her  Lord. 

From  her  they  loon  received  intelligence, 
that  Ihe  had  been  feveral  times  followed  by  dif 
ferent  people  whom  ihe  did  not  know,  as  ihe 
went  in  and  out  of  town  with  Mifs  Darnley  ; 
in  confequence  of  which  it  became  neceffary  to 
remove  them,  and  they  were  fent  to  Bromp- 
ton, 

A  fatality  is  frequently  attendant  on  different 
fituatiens  in  life,  which  eludes  all  that  the  moft 
watchful  vigilance  can  furmiie  to  prevent  it. 
It  was  fo  in  the  prefent  incident.  Not  all  the 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  107 

.caution  obferved  both  by^Lady   Jane  and  Lord 
Darnley,  nor  the  fidelity  of  the  nurfe    could 
counteract   the    decree  of  fate.     Grgat  effects 
proceed  frequently  from  trivial   caufes,  which. 
can  be  neither  for efeen  nor  prevented. 

Lord  Darnley's  vale.t  perceived  that  there 
was  fome  myitery  about  Lady  Findlater  ;  but 
.being  a  country  fellow,  who  knew  nothing  of 
London,  and  being  much  confined  at  home,  he 
had  no  opportunity  of  talking  over  his  Lord's 
affairs  among  his  fellow -fer  van  ts ;  and  the  nurfe, 
who  was  rather  a  pretty  girl,  hardly  conde- 
fcended  to  fpeak  to  him.  Lord  Darnley  had 
one  morning  written  to  Lady  Jane,  and  in^ 
trufted  as  ufual  the  note  to  his  fervant ;  who 
thought  this  a  good  opportunity  to  fatisfy  the 
curiofity  of  their  landlady,  with  whom  he  had 
frequently  converfed  on  the  fubject.  She  was 
overjoyed  at  his  offer,  and  particularly  fo  as  he 
requeued  her  to  give  it  into  the  lady's  own 
-hands,  which  was  a  charge  he  allb  had  received 
fiorn  his  mailer. 

She  took  the  note,  and  went  directly  to  the 
door  of  the  apartment,  which  was  to  her  un- 
fpeakable  aftoniihment,  opened  by  Lady  Jane 
Martindale,  who  was  as  much  con fu fed  as  her- 
felf ;  flie  firft  fufpected  chat  it  was  fome  trick 
put  upon  her  by  her  family,  till  ihe  learned 
that  Lord  Darnley  was  in  poffeilion  of  Colonel 
Stuart's  former  lodgings  in  her  houfe.  She  en 
treated  her  to  preferve  the  moft  inviolable  fe- 
crecy,  which  w?s  faithfully  promifed,  without 
any  intention  of  performing  if 


THE     C  O  N  T  R  A-5-T: 

This  fiender  circumftance  laid  a  lafting  foun- 
.dationfor  every  fubfeqncnt  event  of  Lady  Jane's 
life.  The  moment  the  landlady  returned  home, 
}flie  put  on  her  hat  and  cloak  with  all  polfible 
fpeed,  and  telling  the  valet  me  .was  going  to 
market,  without  any  farther  explanation,  poft- 
>  ed  directly  to  Mr.  Martindale's  houfe  in  Ar- 
gyle  Street,  whither  ihe  had  once  been  on  a 
vifit  to  Mrs.  Drapery,  in  company  with  Jo- 
iephine,  Mils  Stuart's  Neapolitan  maid.  Mrs. 
Drapery  AV  as  at  home,  and  in  the  aft  -of  writ 
ing  to  her  dear  Oldfon,  who  was  (Ull  at  Led- 
ftone  with  his  mafter.  As  foon  as  ihe  had  heard 
ALL,  (lie  prefented  her  viiitant  with  a  glafs  of 
her  beft  cordial,  and  begged  to  have  the  HO 
NOUR  of  her  company  another  time,  as  me  was 
juft  finifning  an  important  letter,  and  feared 
being  too  late  for  the  pott.  Thefe  two  wor 
thy  females  exchanged  feveral  polite  curtefies, 
and  parted  highly  fatisiied  with  each  other; 
the  one  having  communicated  all  ihe  knew, 
and  the  other  having  heard  aJl  ihe  \viihed  ;  for 
they  were  tiU  that  moment  ignorant  of  Lady 
Jane's  deftination.  Mrs.  Drapery  added  ano 
ther  iheet  to  her  already  voluminous  packet  ; 
and  as  foon  as  fhe  had  diipatched  it,  and  finim- 
ed  her  dinner,  ihe  fent  for  every  one  of  the 
fervants  into  the  houikeeper's  room,,  to  whom 
fhe  related  the  whole  of  this  marvellous 
tale. 

Mrs.  Drapery  was  now  fole  miftrefs  of  the 
houfe  ;  confequently  whatever  ihe  faid,  was 
the  grand  rule  of  their  a&ions.  I  muit  indeed 
except  a  Yorkihire  groom  5  who  .having  fat  like 


A     NOVEL. 

the  reft  open-mouthed  to  hear  pronounced  the 
fentence  of  his  lady's  condemnation,  cbviared 
4t  he  would  go  to  her  that  very  moment,  and 
know  in  what  he  could  ierye  her,  for  that  {lie 
was  as  good  a  lady  as  ever  broke  bread  ;  and 
he  was  certain  that  as  far  Yorklhire,  there  was 
never  a  gentleman  in  the  whole  country  that 
would  have  turned  inch  a  tender-hearted  lady 
out  of  doors,  but  that  he  had  heard  theie  Lon 
doners  would  do  any  thing.  He  did  not;  care 
for  his  mailer  ;  he  might  hang  him  if  he  liked, 
and  keep  his  wages  into  the  bargain;  but  that 
now  he  knew  where  to  find  his  lady,  he  would 
go  and  offer  his  fervice  to  her  ;  ay,  and  {tick 
by  her,  if  file  would  let  him,  without  a  farth 
ing  wages,  as  long  as  he  lived." 

Mrs.  Drapery  expatiated  on  the  re  fen  t  meat 
of  an  enraged  mafter,  and  the  deftruclion  that 
would  inevitably  overtake  him,  and  finally  pre 
vent  his  ever  getting  another  place,  ihould  he 
periift  in  fuch  a  foolifh  fcheme  : — but  all  would 
not  do  ;  nothing  could  induce  Tom  to  relin- 
quiih  his  prefent  purpofe ;  and  with  all  the 
blunt  honeily  and  feeling  of  a  TRUE  YORK 
SHIRE  MAN,  he  went  immediately  to  his  maf- 
ter's  ftables,  where,  giving  up  his  charge  of 
the  faddle-horfes  to  the  coachman,  he  packed 
up  his  all  in  a  fmall  bundle,  and  without  taking 
leave  of  his  aiTociates,  whom  his  heart  cuffed 
for  their  cruelty,  he  walked  with  aching  fteps 
towards  Great  Cumberland  Street. 

In  his  way  thither,  he  reflected  for   the  firft 
time  of  his  life  on  what  he  was  about.     He  had 
K 


no         THE     CONTRAST: 

given  up  his  place,  and  all  the  intereft  he  had, 
without  having  any  juit  reafon  to  fuppoie  that 
Lady  Jane  would  befriend  him.  What  was 
he  to  do  if  me  refufed  him  an  afylum  ? — Torn 
had  no  friends  in  London ;  they  were  all  in 
habitants  of  Ripon  ;  yet  Tom  did  not  repent. 
He  already  had  received  full  compenfation  for 
any  hardfhips  he  might  in  future  undergo  .He 
had  experienced  that  inward  joy,  that  hide.- 
fcribable  felicity  of  having  given  way  to  the 
genuine  feelings  of  an  honeft  heart.  He  did 
not  luppofe  that  his  lady  would  fuffer  him  to 
want  ;  but  if  me  did,  he  Jfhould  only  be  reduc 
ed  to  temporary  neceflity,  and  that  too  in  a 
noble  cauie  ;  the  canfe  of  injured  Innocence. 
His  friends  were  induftrious,  hard-working 
people,  who  would  not,  he  was  very  lure, 
difmifs  him  becaufe  he  did  not  bring  them  Gold. 
No  ;  they  had  ever  prayed  him  to  remain  a- 
mong  them  fteady  to  the  plough,  as  his  fore 
fathers  had  been  ;  but  Tom  had  feen  laced  live,- 
ries  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Ripon  ;  and 
more  from  the  generous  motive  of  thinking  he 
could  henceforward  add  to  the  little  wealth  al 
ready  poffeffed  by  his  family,  than  any  felf-in- 
tereited  principle  of  his  own,  he  had  fet  out 
on  his  perilous  journey,  TO  SEE  THE 


A    NOVEL.  in 


CHAP.     XXV. 


OM  was  at  firftrefufed  admittance  ;  till 
by  his  lobs  and  tears,  and  his  alleverati- 
oti  that  he  had  left  his  place  for  no  other  reaibn 
than  to  wait  on  his  lady,  he  prevailed  on  the 
miitrcfs  of  the  houfe  ro  go  up  ftairs  a  iecond 
time,  and  ihe  confented  to  fee  him.  He  briefly 
related  by  vhat  means  he  had  difcovered  her 
residence,  and  begged  her  ladyihip's  pardon  for 
his  boldnefs  in  coming  after  her,  and  the  mo 
tive  which  had  induced  him  to  do  io.  Lady 
Jane  thanked  him  for  his  attention,  and  draw 
ing  five  gnineas  from  her  p:irfe  advifed  him  to 
return  to  his  place,  or,  if  he  did  not  chooie 
that,  ihe  would  recommend  him,  (lie  faid,  to 
Lord  Darnley,  who  would  procure  him  ano 
ther,  Tom  looked  fir  ft  at  the  money,  and 
tl'-en  wiftfully  at  Lady  Jane  ;  for  he  feared  to 
offend,  as  he  begged  to  be  excuied  taking  it; 
and  he  ventured  to  hint,  that,  not  feeing  any 
fervants  about  her.  he  thought  fhe  coi:ki  but 
ill  fpare  it  ;  and  all  lie  implored  was,  that  ihe 
would  keep  him  in  her  fcrvice.  The  poor 
creature  pleaded  fo  powerfully,  that  ic  was  im- 
poliible  ihe  could  without  cruelty  refill:  him  ;  lev* 
ordering  him  to  put  the  money  m  his  pocket, 
ihe  fuifered  hini  to  enter  on  the  pleating  tafk  of 
rendering  himfeif  a  faithful  attendant  oa  her. 
K  2 


ii2         THE     CONTRASTS 

Lady  Jane  employed  tl:e  remainder  of  the 
morning  in  writing  a  long  narative  of  facts  to" 
her  father.  She  endeavoured  to  prepare  him 
in  the  molt  delicate  and  pathetic  manner  for  the 
knowledge  of  her  misfortunes,  and  anticipated 
the  total  forgetf  nine's  of  thefe,  in  his  fyrnpa- 
thizing  tenderneis.  She  obferved  that  Ihe  had 
only  quitted  an  unpleafant  home,  to  return  to 
hsr  native  happy  one;  and  fhe  requeued  his  ap  - 
probation  of  her  joining  him  immediately  in 
Ireland.  With  eager  expectation  fhe  told  him 
fhe  fhould  wait  his  reply,  which  would  in  eve- 
thing  determine  her  future  conduct.  Her  hour* 
appeared  to  grow  lighter  from  the  moment  her 
letter  v,  as  given  to  the  pofhnan,  and  ihe  fol 
lowed  in  idea  its  haily  progrefs  during  the 
night ;  forming  a  thoufand  pleafing  conjectures 
on  the  event  of  its  fuccefs.  Lord  Darnley  had 
for  the  fir  ft  time  neglected  vifiting  her  that  e- 
vening  ;  but  when  he  called  the  next  morning, 
he  found  her  more  cheerful  than  he  had  hither 
to  icen  her  ;  and  as  the  day  was  remarkably 
fine,  he  propofed  their  going  in  a  hackney 
coach  to  fee  Mils  Darnley  at  Brompton,  and 
walking  in  one  of  the  retired  paths  of  its  neigh 
bourhood.  Lord  Darnley  returned  to  dinner 
with  her,  and  had  been  juft  propofing  to  ac 
company  her  to  Ireland  as  foon  as  ihe  received 
her  father's  anfwer  ;  telling  her,  that  now  the 
Mar  tin  dales  knew  where  to  find  them  both,  he- 
doubted  not  but  that  all  poflible  means  would 
be  tried  to  haften  a  divorce :  and  he  hoped  to 
receive,  as  foon  as  it  was  pronounced,  her  hand 
from  her  father.  He  had  never  fpoken  fo  open- 
ly  before.  In  thofe  few  words  were  comprc- 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  i  r> 

bended  all  flie  wiflied  to  hear,  and  ihe  felt  elat 
ed  at  the  idea  of  being  rettored  to  happineis. 
Their  converfation  was  interrupted  by  the  eru 
trance  of  Tom,  who  brought  a  letter  that  had 
been  put  into  his  hands  by  one  of  the  fervants 
from  Argyle-ftreet ;  it  was  addreffed  to  Lady 
Jane;  ilie  knew  her  hufband's  hand  on  the 
direction,  which  was  all  he  had  UTitten.  In 
the  blank  cover  was  a  letter  to  himfelf,  which 
had  been  fent  to  Ledftone,  and  was  from  thence 
forwarded  by  him.  It  bore  the  Iriih  poll- mark, 
and  was  fealed  with  black.  Lady  Jane  faw  the 
iignature,  and  fainted  away.  Her  heart  fore 
boded  its  dreadful  contents;  there  was  no  need 
of  her  reading  it,  to  be  convinced  of  this,  her 
greatcft  misfortune  !  Lord  Darnley  took  it 
up,  and  found  that  it  contained  an  affecting  re- 
queit  from  the  fteward  to  Mr.  Martindale,  that 
he  would  break  the  news  of  the  Earl's  fudden 
death  to  Lady  Jane  in  the  tendered  manner 
poilible-  .  He  had  departed  this  but  two  hours 
before  it  was  written,  confequently  no  know 
ledge  codld  be  had  of  the  fituation  in  which  he 
had  left  his  affairs  ;  but  the  fteward  added,  that 
as  he  had  reafon  to  believe  his  loriMhip  had  left 
Mr.  Martindale  fole  executor,  he  entreated 
that  gentleman  to  come  with,  all  poffible  haile 
to  Dublin. 

Lady  Jane  foon  recovered  from  her  (rate  of 
infenfibility  ;  but  her  heart  was  turned  to  woe, 
and  ilie  bore  this  afflicting  circumftance  with 
more  compofure  at  the  moment  than  might  have 
been  expected.  She  looked  up  to  Lord  Darn- 
ley  as  H,£R  ONLY  FRIEND,  for  where  in  the 
K  * 


ii4  THE     C  O  N  T  R  A  S  T: 

vaft  univerfe  could  fne  claim  another  ? — He. 
tincerely  felt  for  and  pitied  her,  and  he  pro  mi  f- 
ed  her  every  alliilaace,  at  this  di final  junct 
ure,  that  file  could  derive  from  his  affection, 
his  fociety,  and  advice.  Butt  ihe  was  deeply 
affected  by  her  recent  lofs  ;  and  her  grief  was 
of  the  moil:  dangerous  kind,  as  it  grew  into  a 
fettled  melancholy,  which  increafed  daily. 
She  continually  pondered  on  her  iituation,  and 
ac  length,  without  confulting  Lord  Darnley, 
or  even  mentioning  the  circumftance  to  him, 
ihe  wrote  to  Mifs  Fielding,  giving  l>r  a  cir- 
cumftantial  detail  of  all  that  had  palled,  and 
entreating  to  fee  her.  She  gave  Tom  orders  to 
vv-ait  for  an  anfwer,  and  he  brought  back  her 
o\vn  letter,  unfeaied,  in  a  blank  cover.  She 
Km  ad  hcrfelf  DESPISED  AND  REJECTED,  and  a. 
conibiH  fucceflion  of  fad  ideas  filled  her  very 
foul.  The  woimdedmind  will,  like  the  drown  - 
ing,  man,  catch  at  every  ihadow  of  a  fubftance; 
and  Lady  Jane,  penetrated  with  Lord  Darn- 
ley's  attentive  fnendihip,  infenfibly  attached 
herlelf  to  him.  He  could  now  prevail'  on  her 
with.lefs  difficulty  to  accompany  him  in  riding,, 
walking,  <S:c,  till  by  degrees  ihe  gave  herfelf  up 
irrecoverably  to  him,  and  refufed  nothing  to  a 
man  whom  ihe  with  confidence  conlidered  as 
her  future  huiband  and  natural  protector. 

Lady  Jane  and  Lord  Darnley  were  more 
pubiickly  together  than  formerly,,  but  (till  kept 
their  refpeclive  lodgings.  Inlefs  taan  a  month 
after  her  father's  death,  fne  received  a  feconci 
letter  from  the  iieward,  written  at  the  deiire 
of  Mr.  Martiadale,  who  was,  he  informed 


A    N  O  Y  E  L. 

her,  arrived  in  Dublin  to  take  pofleflion  of  all 
that  had  been  left  her.  He  fent  her  word  that, 
on  his  return  to  England,  he  would  fecure  her 
a  fetilernent  adequate  to  the  fortune  he  ha'd 
with  her  ;  and  Lord  Darnley  received,  about 
the  fame  time  a,  citation  from  Do&ors  Com 
mons. 


u6         THE     CONTRAST: 


CHAP.        XXVI. 


WE.  will  now  revifit  with  regret  our 
friends  at  allanbank  ;  I  fay  with  regret, 
becaufe  we  left  them  at  the  iuinmit  of  happi- 
nefs,  and  (if  we  accompany  them  at  all)  we 
nuift  defcend  with  them  into  the  valley  of  woe* 
Colonel  Stuart  was  furprized  one  morning, 
as  he  was  fitting  in  his  ftudy,  by  a  large  pack 
et  directed  to  him,  which,  on  opening,  he 
found  to  contain  feveral  meets  from  an  elder 
brother,  who  had  been  long  fettled  at  Madras; 
and  of  whom  he  had  not  received  any  tidings 
for  more  than  twenty  years,  a  coolnefs  having 
lubfifted  fmce  that  time  between  them.  The 
Colonel  was  perfectly  ignorant  whether  he  was 
living  or  dead.  But  a&old  age  brings  reflecti 
on,  and  draws  us  naturally  back  to  our  firft 
attachments,  Mr.  Stuart  at  laft  recorded  that 
he  had  a  brother,  who  he  had  lately  heard  was 
not  only  living,  but  was  a  widower,  with  ail 
only  daughter.  He  wrote  rather  a  kind  letter 
to  the  Colonel,  giving  a  long  account  of  him- 
felf.  He  had  been  married,  he  faid,  twice; 
and  hafcl  three  children,  none  of  whom  furvi- 
ved  ;  and  his  laft  wife,  who  was  alfo  his  laft  tie 
in  that  country,  was  lately  dead.  He  com 
plained  of  his  age  and  infirmities,  and  acknow 
ledged  that  he  lud  made  a  coafiderable  fortune 


A    N  O  V  E  L. 

in  the  eaft,  which  in  was  his  intention  to  be 
queath  to  his  niece.  He  defired  that  the  Colo,- 
iifl  would  either  embark  in  the  firft  ihip  defin 
ed  to  India,  or  that  he  would  lend  over  fome 
perfon,  in  whom  he  could  place  confidence,  ta 
attend  to  the  fettling  of  his  affairs  ;  he  added, 
that  in  cafe  of  his  dying  before  fuch  a  one  arri 
ved,  he  had  already  taked  care  to  make  a  will 
in  favour  of  Mifs  Stuart,  his  niece. 

The  Colonel  exulted  but  little  in  his  daugh 
ter's  unexpected  profpect  of  future  fortune.  She 
had  enough  to  make  her  happy,  and  they  co 
veted  no  more.  Yetic  was  neceflary  on  every 
account  to  accede  to  her  uncle's  requeft.  She 
might  have  a  large  family,  and  it  was  a  -Juty 
incumbent  on  him  not  to  neglect  a  circumftance 
that  had  the  appearance  of  turning  out  fo  much 
to  her  advantage,  and  fo  far  beyond  their  ex 
pectation.  To  cart  away  a  gift  that  was  as  it 
were  thrown  into  their  lap,  would  be,  accor 
ding  to  Colonel  Stuart's  ideas,  to  render  them 
felves  ;  unworthy  the  difpenfations  of  provi 
dence  in  their  favour.  The  only  difficulty  was, 
to  determine  on  who  was  proper  to  go  over.  It 
was  a  long  perilous  voyage  to  be  undertaken 
by  the  Colonel ;  and  he  could  not  think  of  fe- 
parating  Glencairn  and  his  daughter,  at  a  mo 
ment  when  they  were  on  the  point  of  marri 
age,  and  when  every  thing  feemed  to  fmile 
propitious  on  their  union. 

When  he  met  then?,  his  countenance  bore 
the  vifible  marks  of  perturbation  and  anxiety  ; 
sad  it  was  ibme  time  before  he  could  collect: 


u8        THE     CONTRAST: 

himfelf  fufficiently  to  impart  to  them  the  con 
tents  of  the  letter.  Glencairn  and  Mary 
watched  each  other's  countenance  while  he  was 
reading  it  ;  hut  when  the  Colonel  fignified  his 
intention  of  fir  ft  join  ing  their  hands,  and  then 
leaving  them  while  he  made  the  long,  long 
voyage,  Mary  at  once  declared  that  ihe  would 
rather  relinquish  every  earthly  advantage  than 
fuffer  her  father  to  undertake  it.  To  her,  and 
to  Glencairn,  no  increafe  of  fortune  could  bring 
increafe  of  happinefs  ;  and  why  (hot! Id  they 
traverfe  feas  to  rilk  the  lofs  of  THAT,  of  which 
they  were  already  in  poilellion  ? 

Glencairn  flood  in  a  delicate  lunation.  His 
wandering  heart  prompted  him  to  infill  on  being 
the  deputed  perfon,  yet  he  feared  two  unkind 
con  rime!  ions  that  might  be  put  on  it  if  he  did 
fo  ;  and  thefe  were,  indifference  towards  Ma 
ry,  and  felf  intereli  If  either  of  them  pre 
ponderated,  it  was  not  furely  the  letter.  He 
aJkedMary  what  he  fhould  do  r— »She  expecl:- 
cd,  yet  was  not -immediately  prepared  for  the 
queltion.  It  \vas  about  the  time  when  the  In 
dia  men  were  to  fail ;  and  while  Colonel  Stuart 
retired  to- his  ftudy  to  write  to  a  friend  in  Lon 
don  in  order  io  make  proper  enquiries  about 
them,  Mil's  Stuart  and  Glencairn  walked  into 
the  garden,  where  they  agreed  that  there  was 
no  alternative  between  his  going  to  India,  and 
the  lofs  of  her  uncle's  favour  and  fortune. 

When  Colonel  Stuart  faw  that  it  was  in  vain 
to  oppofe  Glencairn's  refolution,  Strengthened 
by  the  confent  of  Mary,  he  told  him  he  fhould 


A    N  O  V  E  L. 

leave  it  entirely  to  him felf,  and  his  daughter, 
whether  their  marriage  fhotil.d  take  place  before 
or  after  his  return  ;  but  Mifs  Stuart  begged  to 
continue  in  her  prelent  fituation  till  he  did  fo. 
She  thought  ihe  mould  be  better  able  to  bear 
Jiis  abfence  as  her  friend,  than  as  her  hufband,: 
they  were  already  betrothed  ;  ihe  could  not 
doubt  his  love  for  her  ;  and  me  confidered  the 
facrifice  he  was  about  to  make,  as  the  greateft 
proof  that  he  could  give  of  it. 

The  Colonel  ufed  all  poffible  difpatch  in  for 
warding  every  neceflary  preparation  for  Glen- 
cairn's  departure  ;  and  he  loon  received  an  an- 
fwer  from  the  friend  to  whom  he  hnd  written., 
>vho  was  eneof  the  Eaft  India  Directors,  in 
forming  him  that  his  paffage  was  taken  on 
board  the  Melville  Cattle,  which  was  to  fail  in 
three  weeks.  The  arrival  of  this  letter  caufed 
a  few  pearly  drops  to  trickle  down  the  cheeks 
;ofMary;  but  the  blow  was  given^  aud  it  was 
.£00  late  to  recede. 


120      THE     CONTRAST: 


CHAP.          XXVII- 


WE  will  pafs  over  the   melancholy  fepa- 
ration,  and,  leaving  Colonel  and  Mil* 
Stuart  at  Allanbank  in  better  health  than   fpi- 
rits,  accompany  Glencairn  to  London, 

As  he  approached  the  gay  metropolis,  his  mind 
dwelt  on  the  idea  of  Lady  JaneMartindale.  E- 
very  carnage  that  he  met  he  fancied  to  contain 
her,  and  every  well  dreft  perfon  he  faw  he  an- 
xioufly  looked  at,  as  fuppofmg  he  could  re.ceive 
from  them  fome  information  of  her.  On  the 
morning  after  his  arrival,  he  waited  .on  the  Di- 
re&or  with  a  letter  from  Colonel  Stuart;  but 
finding  he  was  gone  to  Black  wall,  to  dine  on. 
board  fcthe  Melville  Caftle,  he  ordered  a  polt- 
chaife,  and  followed  him.  He  was  introduced 
by  that  gentleman  to  Captain  Dundas  and  the 
other  officers,  and  was  much  pleafed  both  with 
his  acquaintance  and  his  birth  there.  He  was 
informed  that  theihip  was  to  go  down  the  riyer 
in  ten  days.  He  returned  to  town  with  his 
new  friend  in  the  evening,  and  on  their  way 
could  not  forbear  aiking  him  if  he  was  acquaint 
ed  with  the  Martindale  family  ?— By  report  on 
ly,  was  the  reply  ;  and  indeed  he  faid  the  late 
tranfa&ions  of  that  family  were  not  calculated  f 
Xo  make  any  perfon  wifli  to  know  more  of  them. 


A    NOVEL.  121 

This  led  to  an  explanation,  and,  when  they 
arrived,  to  the  peruiai  of  a  newlpaper  a  few 
days  old,  which  was  at  the  Director's,  and 
contained  a  long  account  of  the  ELOPEMENT 
of  Lady  Jane  Martindale  with  Lord  Darniey, 
crc,  &c.  &c. 

Glencairn  was  engaged  to  ftay  f upper,  but 
retired  to  his  hotel  as  foonas  it  was  over  ;  and 
finding  that  a  porter  kept  watch  all  night,  he 
put  on  a  greatcoat,  and  walked  immediately  to 
Argyle  Street.  When  he  approached  the  houfe, 
he  heard  the  found  of  fiddles,  and  people  danc 
ing  :  he  at  once  dlibelieved  the  report,  think 
ing  it  very  unlikely,  if  it  were  true,  that  Mr. 
Martindale  Ihould  have  a  ball  in  his  houfe.  He 
was  however  foon  convinced  of  his  error, 
when  he  faw  feveral  odd-looking  men  reeling 
out  of  it,  and  heard  them  hallooing  for  coaches 
for  the  LADIES.  He  addreffed  himfelf  to  the 
mod  decent-looking  one,  who  told  him  it  was 
Mrs.  Drapery's  birth-day,  and  that  all  the  no 
blemen's  gentleman  and  ladies'  women  of  the 
neighbourhood  were  aifembled  to  celebrate  it; 
that  Mr.  Martindale  was  at  his  county  feat  in 
Cornwall,  and  that  Lady  Jane  was  gone  off 
with  Lord  Darniey.  Glencairn  thanked  his 
informer,  and  returned  to  his  apartment.  He 
had  appointed  a  week  from  that  day  to  go  on 
board  the  Ihip,  and  was  determined  to  employ 
the  whole  of  it  in  making  enquiries  after  her. 
He  flattered  himfelf  that  it  would  be  in  his 
power  to  "  recall  the  wanderer  home  ;"  and 
ihould  he  fail  in  the  attempt,  it  was  fUll  a  laud 
able  one.  He  thought  he  faw  her  deftitute  of 
L 


i22      THE     CONTRAST: 

money,  and  of  friends  ;  and  might  he  not  {tip- 
ply  the  place  of  both  ?  —  Yet,  he  again  reflect 
ed,  was  Ihe  deferving  fvich  attention  from  him, 
and  ought  he  not  to  be  with-held  from  ihewing 
it  by  his  facred  engagement  to  Mary  Stuart  f 
The  gentle,  the  virtuous,  the  faithful  Mary 
pofiefled  but,  alas  !  the  fecond  place  in  his  re 
gard  ;  he  was  .in  ore  ri  vetted  by  honour,  than 
he  was  bound  by  love. 

The  next  morniug,  the  Director  favoured 
him  with  a  vifit,  and  infilled  on  his  dining  with 
him.'.  They  talked  of  Colonel  Stuart,  and 
Glencairn  f  lightly  touched  on  his  engagement 
with  his  daughter;  but  as  feveral  gentlemen 
were  prefent,  many  words  did  not  pals  on  the 
fubjeci.  Glencairn  drank  freely  of  Cape  and  a 
variety  of  other  wines.  His  life  had  hitherto 
been  one  continued  fcene  of  fobriety,  and  it 
was  not  to  be  wondered  at,  in  the  prefent  mo 
ment,  that  the  liquor  daggered  his  leafon,  and 
at  length  wholly  overcame  it.  To  this  might 
be  added  the  diforclered  fituation  of  his  mind, 
and  both  threw  him  into  a  date  of  temporary 
madnefs.  He  ftole  away  from  the  Director's 
houfe,  and  went  directly  to  Mr.  Martindale's; 
•where,  on  enquiring  for  tylrs.  Drapery,  he 
foon  gained  admuTion.  She  immediately  knew 
him  ;  confirmed  all  he  had  heard  ;  told  him 
where  to  find  Lady  Jane  ;  and  finiihed  by  fay 
ing,  that  had  he  come  fooner  to  town,  he 
would  have  probably  had  the  preference  over 
Darnley. 


Fluihed  as  he  was  with  wine;  and  inflamed 


A    NOVEL.  123 

by  thefubject,  he  fcarcely  gave  her  time  to  fi- 
niih  the  fentence,  ere  he  dire&ed  his  wayward 
fteps  to  words  Great  Cumberland  Street.  No 
fooner  was  the  ftreet  door  opened,  than  he  im- 
pecuoully  ru (lied  forward,  and,  without  making 
any  enquiry  at  Lady  Jane's  apartment,  abrupt 
ly  entered  it.  She  liar  ted,  and  was  terrified 
by  his  appearance,  and  received  him  with  dif- 
tant  civility.  His  pailion  knew  no  bounds. 
Love,  jealojufy,  and  rage,  were  confpicuous  in 
his  countenance  j  he  called  her  infamous,  and 
ungrateful,  and  vowed  to  be  the  death  of 
Lord  Darnley^  if  fiiedid  not  inftantly  confent 
to  go  off  with  him.  At  the  word  infamous, 
die  ihuddered.  Her  foul  difdained  the  menace , 
and  the  accufer  ;  yet  me  was  flung  by  his  ex- 
preilions.  Was  that  the  language  me  defer ved, 
or  had  been  accuftomed  to  ? — -Was  there  NO 
difcriminatior*  ?  no  more  gentle  epithet  for  a 
heart  nearly  broken  by  accumulated  misfor 
tunes,  but  which  had  plunged  into  an  illegal, 
though  almoit  uuavoidable  connection  ? — She 
had  been  thrown  headlong  down  a  precipice, 
and  was  now  accufed,  and  reproached,  becaufe 
fhe  fell  !  Glencairn  had  not  arrived  time  e- 
nough  tofnatch  her  from  impending  ruin  ;  but 
he  feemed  to  triumph  in  her  misfortune,  and 
to  take  an  unmanly  advantage  of  it  to  infult 
her.  She  felt  that  her  fituation  laid  her  open 
to  the  frowning  cenfures  of  the  world,  but  he 
was  the  laft  perfon  that  fhould  remind  her  of 
it.  She  had  not  reafon  to  expecl  to  meet  with 
lenity  from  her  female  acquaintance,  after  the 
KIND  leifcn  Mils  Fielding  had  taught  her. 
Alas!  were  all  the  SEEMING  virtuous  charac- 
L  2 


THE     CONTRAST; 

terstobemimaiked,  how  many,  more  culpablein 
reality  than  Lady  Jane,  would  be  branded  with 
the  YV  ord  infamous  !  The  daughters  of  Albion, 
as  they  are  the  faireft  productions  of  nature, 
fhonld  be  alfo  the  moil  generous.  They  ihonld 
learn  to  pity,  before  they  condemn  ;  they 
.'Id  be  merciful,  as  God  is  merciful  ;  and 
they  would  find  more  favour  in  his  light  when 
they  wipe  away  the  tear  of  anguifh,than  when 
they  wantonly  and  cruelly  augment  it.  Let 
them  not  forget  the  old  Spaniih  proverb,  that 

Vr  hoever  throws  ftones  at  his  neighbour's  win- 
daws,  ihouid  remember  his  own  are  made  of 
glafs. 

Youth,  beauty,  health,  and  even  life  itfelf, 
are  too  frequently  facrificed  to  thefe  miitaken 
prejudices  of  the  world.  How  many  noble 
minds  are  overthrown  by  them  !  for  I  hope, 
and  believe,  that  few  women  who  are  not  born 
and  educated  in  the  path  of  vice,  can  be  deem 
ed  defer ving  of  the  dilgrace  and  opprobrium 
with  which  they  are  overwhelmed,  from  the 
moment  they  become  ontcafts  of  fociety  ;  or, 
that  the  fulceptible  mind  can  long  fupport  it  J 
— The  contempt  of  the  VIRTUOUS,  the  infults 
of  the  vulgar,  fandtioned  aj>  it  were  by  their 
example,  will  not  fail  at  laft  to  break  a  heart 
endued  with  feniibiiity.  How  great  are  the 
furrows  that  arife  from  too  delicate  a  fhare  of  it 
in  many  tmn factions  of  life  !  It  has  long  been 
a  diiputed  point,  whether  or  not  the  pleafures 
flowing  from  SENSIBILITY  are  not  more  than 
overbalanced  by  the  erodes,  difappointment^ 


A    N  O  V  E  L  325 

mortifications,  and  infults,  it  daily  receives 
from  a  barbarous  herd  of  INSENSIBLE  mortals. 
Perhaps  it  may  be  fo ;  yet  a  tender  fenfible 
mind  will  ftill  have  pleafures,  and  enjoy  happi- 
nei's,  which  thofe  of  a  coarfer  mould  know  no 
thing  of.  As  the  fource  and  fprings  of  their 
felicity  are  fecret  ;  fo,  to  avoid  the  fneer  and 
laugh  of  unfeeling  creatures^  they  enjoy  it  in 
fecret  alfo. 

Hard  fate  of  man,  on  whom  the  heavens  beftow 
A  drop  of  pleafurej  for  a  fe;i  of  woe  ! 


126         THE     C  O  N  T  R.A  S  T 


CHAP.        XXVIII. 


LADY  Jane  prevailed  at  length  on  Glen- 
cairn  to  retire ;  which  however  ihe  was 
not  able  to  accomplilh  till  he  had  extorted 
from  her  a  promife  to  coniider  of  his  propofals, 
and  to  fend  him  a  definitive  anfwer  to  them  in 
the  morning.  She  alfo  obtained  his  word,  that 

O 

he  would  not  take  any  Heps  againft  Lord  Darn- 
ley  which  might  interfere  with  her  prefent  ftate 
t>f  negative  peace,  till  ihe  had  fotne  farther  con- 
verfation  with  him.  But  ihe  was  relieved 
from  all  apprehentions  of  that  kind  early  the- 
next  day  by  a  few  lines  ihe  received  from  him, 
in  which  he  bade  her  a  long  adieu.  He  allured 
her  that  he  fe)t  the  impropriety  of  which  he 
had  been  guilty  the  preceeding  evening,  and 
he  entreated  her  to  forgive  it,  as  with  his  rea- 
fon  a  proper  fenfe  of  his  duty  had  returned  ; 
and  that  left  he  fhould  in  another  moment  of 
involuntary  inebriation  be  tempted  to  oilend 
her  again  in  the  fame  manner,  he  had  deter 
mined  on  going  on  board  the  Melville  CaiHe 
that  day  ;  being  refolved  to  fulfill  to  the  ut- 
rnoft  the  confidence  repofed  in  hirn.  He  wou!4. 
v/iliingly ,  he  added,  lofe  his  life  in  her  defence ; 
but  he  owed  the  prefent  prefervation  of  it  to 
the  interefb  of  Colonel  Stuart,  and  his  family  ; 
he  was  intrufted  by-then!  \vith  the  depofit  of 


A    NOVEL. 

their  future  fortune  ;  it  was  a  facred  engage 
ment,  which,  when  once  fulfilled,  would 
leave  him  nothing  to  hope  for,  and  nothing  to 
fear. 

In  a  Ihort  pcilfcript  he  added,  that  his  defli- 
nation  was  to  return  to  England  as  foon  as  he 
haciieenMr.  Stuart,  and  received  his  com 
mands  ;  when  he  would  find  out  if  poffible 
where  ihe  reiided,  and  in  what  fitnation.  He 
concluded  thus  abrubtiy,  as  if  fearful  of  faying 
more  than  he  intended  ;  yet  it  was  eafy  to 
trace  his  bewildered  mind  in  every  line. 

Lady  Jane  had  certainly  an  attachment  for 
Lord  Darnley  ;  but  it  was  rather  the  compulii- 
on  of  gratitude,  than  the  effufion  of  love.  She 
had  lately  obierved  in  him  an  air  of  conflraint, 
and  fome times  of  moroferieis,  that  ihe  had  not 
before  perceived  ;  yet  ihe  conlidered  it  both 
her  duty  and  inclination  to  apprize  Lord  Darn- 
ley  of  their  interview.  He  pan  led  while  me 
related  it  ;  then  feeming,  fuddenly  to  recollect 
himfelf,  advifed  her  if  pollible  to  marry  Glen- 
cairn.  He  did  not,  he  faid,  mean  to  keep  up 
.  the  boyilh  farce  of  deceiving  her  ;  but  he  could 
not  in  honour  to  himfelf,  or  juftice  to  his 
daughter,  marry  her  himfelf.  His  fortune  (lie 
knevv  was  not  large.  Yet  he  could  fpear  out 
of  it  an  annuity  of  one  hundred  pounds,  which 
he  would  fettle  on  her  in  addition  to  whatever 
allowance  might  be  made  her  by  Mr.  Martin- 
daie,  after  the  divorce  bill  had  pafled.  She 
muft  not,  he  added,  expert  to  fee  him  fo  fre- 
cpently  as  Ihe  had  hitherto  done  j  it  might 


THE     C  O  N  L  R  A  S  T: 

prevent  his  forming  an  HONOURABLE  connect;- 
on,  which  he  owed  to  the  infancy  and  fituation> 
of  his  daughter. 

Lady  Jane  Mened  to  this  fpeech  in  Client  a- 
ftonilhment ;  and,  when  it  was  over,  ironical 
ly  thanked  his  lordihip  for  the  KINDNESS  of  his 
intentions  ;  but  affured  him  that  it  was  the  laft 
time  ihe  would  degrade  herfelf  by  feeing  him. 
With  an  air  of  dignity,  uncontaminated  by 
pailion  of  any  kind,  Ihe  commanded  him  to  re 
tire,  and  never  more  to  infult  her  either  by 
his  prefence,  or  his  offers  of  mifplaced  generofi- 
ty,  or  wound  her  feelings  by  unmerited  con 
tempt.  She  was  at  lead  his  equal  in-  point  of 
rank  ;  and  in  fentiment,  far  his  fuperior.  She 
loved  the  little  Louifa  with  almoft  the  fame 
maternal  tendernefs  ihe  fhould  have  felt,  had 
Heaven  bleiTed  her  with  a  child  ;  buther  pride 
had  been  too  grolsly  infulted  to  allow  her  to 
give  farther  proofs  of  it.  She  repeated  her  wifh 
of  feeing  him  no  more,  and  with  haughty,,  but 
determined  refolution,  forbade  him  to  intrude 
farther  on  her  prefence. 

Lord  Darnley  looked  abaihed,  and  mortifi 
ed  ;  he  endeavoured  to  ftamrner  out  an  excufej 
but  finding  it  would  avail  nothing,  he  made  a 
lo w  bo w  and  \v it h J re  w . 

In  nev/,  ami  alarming  a  (Tanks  of  fortune,  i£ 
there  be  'eifure  for  -reflection,  the  mind  retires 
into  its  c  adel  ;  arid  there,  rejecting  every  ufe- 
lefs  or  ordinary  companion,  admits  alone  thofe 
rare  energetic  powers;  whofe  vigour  can  repel, 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  129 

or  vigilance  elude,  the  fury  of  the  ftorm.  In 
fuch  a  dilemma,  fhe  naturally  thought  of  Glen- 
cairn  ;  not  as  the  future  happy  rival  of  Lord 
Darniey  ;  not  as  her  champion,  whom  ihe 
might  expect  to  find  bold  in  his  revenge  of  her 
injuries; — but,  as  a  friendly  divinity,  whofe 
foothing  pity,  if  it  could  notdhTipate,  would  at 
leaft  elfufe  a  fympathetic  balm.  Yet  it  was  not 
until' after  fome  ftruggles  that  fhe  determined  to 
write,  and  requeit  feeing  him  once  more  ;  and 
difpatched  Tom  with  a  letter  to  that  effect,  to 
Black-wall. 

He  loft  no  time  after  receiving  it  in  obeying 
her  fummons;  and  drew  from  her  full  a  confeffi- 
on  of  her  intimacy  with  Lord  Darniey,  and 
his  fubfequent  conduct.  He  faid  little  in  re 
ply,  but  loon  after  excu fed  himfelf  on  pretence 
of  buiineis  which  would  detain  him  half  an 
hour,  and  went  directly  to  Lord  Darniey 's 
lodging,  determined  to  demand  fatisfaction  for 
the  ungentlemanly  and  cruel  treatment  that  he 
had  exerted  towards  an  unhappy  and  unprotect 
ed  woman.  His  lordfnip  having  probably  en 
tertained  fome  fufpicioris  on  that  head,  had 
paid  off  his  lodgings,  and  left  town  an  hour 
before  Giencairn  arrived  there. 

Cruelty  and  cowardice  are  fo  clofely  connect 
ed,  as  to  be  deemed  almoit  infeparable.  The 
man  who  wo  Ad  wantonly  torture  and  deftroy 
even  theleait  of  God's  creatures,  will  be  feldom 
found  to  poilefs  that  degree  of  courage  which 
naturally  belongs  to  the  Lord  of  the  creation, 
v,  iach  habitual  vice  only  can  do  away. 


130        THE     CONTRAST* 

He  will  tyrannize  over  thofe  unhappy 
whom  the  chance  of  fortune  has  rendered  ful> 
fervient  to  his  power  ;  but  he  will  (brink  from 
thofe  who  can  reign  over  HIM,  and  ftand  aghalt 
at  the  appearance  of  fu per ior  virtue".  A  man  of 
real  courage  is  a  man  of  ftrict  honour  j  he  will, 
like  the  tried  warrior,  pity,  and  releave  as  far 
as  he  is  able,  the  lefs  fortunate  vanquUhed;  but 
he  will  defpife  the  pitiful  prerogative  of  exult 
ing  over,  and  adding  to,  accumulated  woes. 
Such  were  the  oppaiite  characters  of  lord  Darn- 
ley,  and  Glencairn. 

In  two  days  more  the  Melville-Caftle  was  to 
go  down  the  river  ;  and  Glencairn's  engage 
ments  were  of  too  lerious  a  nature  to  be  broken. 
He  faid  nothing  to  Lrady  Jane  of  his  knowledge 
of  Lurd  Darnley's  depart  re  ;  but  requeued 
her  to  perfevere  in  not  leeing  him  ;  and  advi- 
fed  her  to  retire  to  foaie  more  private  lodging, 
where  (he  might  wait  the  iffue  of  the  matter 
now  pending  in  law.  He  told  her  that  he  ho 
ped  to  return  to  England  in  fifteen  or  eighteen 
months  ;  and  he  begged  her  not  to  forget  that 
(he  had  one  friend  left,  who  would  never  defert 
her  interests,  though  the  facrifice  of  his  ever- 
laiting  peace  muftbe  made  to  the  memory  of  her 
fufferings,  and  his  own  feeble  condition.  With 
thefe  words  he  left  her,  but  ah,  in  what  afitu- 
ation  ! — no  friends,  no  ibciety^  not  even  an 
acquaintance  to  whom  flic  might  pour  out  her 
griefs  and  her  mind  difturbed  aimolt  beyond 
she  powers  of  reflection  !  Towards  evening 
ihe  walked  out,  and  her  fteps  were  involuntari 
ly  directed  towards  Bromptou.  She  would 


A    NOVEL.  131 

have'pafled  the  houfe  which  contained  Mifs 
Darnley  ;  but  by  accident  me  looked  up,  and 
faw  her  playing  in  her  nurfe's  arms,  at  the 
\vindow.  She  was  then  about  eight  months 
old.  Lady  Jane  could  not  refift  the  temptati 
on  ;  but  running  eagerly  up  (lairs;  luffed  her 
with  ardent  affection,  while  the  tears  ftream- 
ed  down  her  cheeks.  The  objed:  of  her  walk 
v/as  to  find  out  a  cheap  lodging  in  a  decent  fa 
mily  ;  in  this  Ihe  foon  fucceeded,  and  took  it 
from  the  following  day. 

She  returned  home,  and  was  fitting  over  a 
flender  fupper,  rapt  in  melancholly  ideas,  when 
a  loud  knock  at  the  ilreet-door,  and  a  hackney- 
coach  flopping  at  it,  arrefted  her  attention. 
Tom  informed  her  that  it  was  an  old  gentle 
man,  who  declined  fending  up  his  name,  but 
particularly  requefted  to  fee  her.  She  was  in. 
that  rtate  of  torpid  infenfibility  which  renders 
us  alike  indifferent  to  every  thing,  and  (lie  gave 
orders  that  he  ihould  be  admitted.  This  unex 
pected  vifitor  was  old  Mr.  Martindale ;  at 
fight  of  him  her  tears  flowed  afrefh,  but  he 
bade  her  be  comforted.  Nothing,  he  faid, 
that  lay  within  HIS  power  ihould  be  wanting 
to  foften  the  rigour  of  her  deftiny.  He  had 
called  to  affure  her  of  it ;  and  would  repeat  his 
vTifits,  though  he  wiflied  his  family  might  re 
main  ignorant  ot  them.  The  fettlement,  he 
faid,  of  two  thoufand  ponnds  per  annum  that 
had  been  made  on  her  marriage,  and  was  to 
defcend  to  her  in  cafe  (he  furvived  her  hufband, 
would  (till  hold  good  if  there  was  no  divorce, 
#nd  that  Ihe  refuied  to  fignany  bond  that  might 


132         THE     CONTRAST: 

be  propofed  to  her,  till  ihe  had  been  advifed 
how  to  ad.  His  foil  had  been  already  inform 
ed  by  his  counfel,  that  there  did  notexift  any 
juft  plea  for  a  divorce  ;  and  he  was  determined 
not  only  to  apprife  her  of  what  ihe  ought  to  do, 
but  alfo  from  time  to  time  acquaint  her  with 
what  fteps  were  to  be  taken,  and  his  opinion  of 
them.  He  ftaid  with  her  near  an  hour  ;  and 
promifing  to  call  on  her  next  evening  at 
Brompton,  took  his  leave  of  her  with  every  ap 
pearance  of  pity  and  regard. 

She  received  the  next  morning  a  long  confo- 
latory  letter  from  Glencairn;  but  as  it  contain 
ed  nothing  more  than  a  repetition  of  his  friend- 
lliip  and  good  wiihes,  we  will  not  tranfcribe  it ; 
but  take  for  the  prefent  our  leave  of  him,  \viih- 
ing  him  a  profperous  voyage  to  India,  and  a 
fate  and  happy  return  to  Britain. 

Mr.  Martindale  went  as  he  had  promifed  to 
Brompton  ;  and  faid  he  was  authorifed  by  his 
fon  to  make  known  to  iier  in  what  manner  he 
chofe,  that  he  fhould  henceforwards  continue  to 
allow  her  one  hundred  pounds  per  annum  ;  and 
that  he  had  given  orders  to  his  banker  to  pay 
her  immediately  five  hundred  pounds,  as  a  pre 
fent  from  himfelf.  She  had  hitherto  thought  of, 
and  now  cared,  fo  little  about  pecuniary  mat 
ters,  that  (lie  was  perfectly  fatisfied  with  his 
propofal  to  execute  a  deed  of  feparation,  that 
ihould  preclude  the  poflibility  of  her  debts 
falling  on  her  hufband.  This  was  agreed  on, 
and  figned  by  both  parties  the  following  day, 
and  every  thing  appeared  to  be  terminated  to 


A    NOVEL.  133 

the  fatisfaftion  of  all  thofe  who  were  concerned 

in  it. 


CHAP.      "XXIX. 


FROM  the  time  of  Glencairn's  departure-, 
Mils  Stuart's  health  began  to  relapfe  into 
its  former  ftate  of  declining  Strength.  Fre 
quent  faintings,  lofs  of  appetite  ,and  a  total  de- 
jeftion  of  fpirits,  were  the  alarming  fore-run 
ners -of  what  was  foon  confirmed  to  be  a  rapid 
decline.  The  Colonel  and  herfelf  received  le- 
veral  letters  from  him,  and  in  the  laft,  dated 
from  the  Downs,  he  took  his  long  farewell. 
But  thefe,  inftead  of  affuaging  her  grief  at  his 
lofs,  viiibly  augmented  it.  She  perceived  a 
chilly  refervc  in  his  manner  of  addreffing  her, 
that  was  inconfiftent  the  thought  with  the  na 
ture  of  their  engagement ;  and  his  filence  re- 
fpecting  Lady  Jane  Martindale  (an  account  of 
whom  they  had  feen  in  the  papers)  was  to  Ma 
ry  the  fureft  proof  of  his  not  being  indifferent 
about  it.  In  a  few  weeks  Mr.  Courtenay  be 
came  their  vifitor  ;  but  knowing  the  fituatioii 
of  her  heart,  he  dropped  all  preteniions  to  be 
her  lover,  and  gloried  but  in  the  title  of  her 
fincere  and  fympathizing  friend.  He  divided 
with  the  Colonel  his  attentions  to  her  ;  and 
his  naturally  cheerful  diipofition  often  forced  a 
fmile  from  her  pale  and  placid  countenance, 
M 


134        THE     CONTRAST; 

while  it  feconded  the  anxious  wiflies  of  her  ve* 
nerable  father,  by  fometimes  enabling  him  to 
a  flu  me  an  air  of  gaiety  from  which  his  heart  was 
very  far  removed. 

Many  months  pafied  in  which  tiieir  hours 
were  thus  uniformly,  and  not  unpleafingly  di 
vided.  The  Colonel  and  Mr.  Courtenay  ge 
nerally  rode  out  ;  and  when  the  cold  was  not 
too  fevere  (for  it  was  now  winter  )  Mifs  Stu* 
art  frequently  accompanied  them  behind  a  fer- 
vant,  for  Ihe  was  too  weak  to  venture  alone  on 
horfe-back.  They  had  .one  morning  in  the 
month  of  December  extended  t^eir  ride  beyond 
its  ufual  bounds,  when  they  were  overtaken 
by  a  fudden  itorm.  The  hailftones  pelted  them 
with  fury,  and  thick  flakes  of  fnow  fell  in  a- 
bundance  over  them.  They  found  themfelves 
nine  miles  from  Allanbank,  and  were  obliged 
to  take  flicker  in  a  fmall  cottage,  till  they  could 
difpatch  their  attendant  to  the  nearelt  town 
v/here  a  chaife  might  be  procured,  and  which 
was  at  a  much  greater  diitance.  They  did  not 
reach  home  till  near  lev  en  o'clock  in  the  even 
ing  ,  and  the  florin  had  not  yet  abated. 

They  had  but  juft  changed  their  wet  clothes, 
and  were  fitting  round  the  blazing  fire,  wait 
ing  their  early  iupper,  when  Keeper ,  the  faith 
ful  houfe-dog,  announced  by  his  loud  barking, 
the  unufual  appproach  of  vifitors.  He  was 
ibon  echoed  by  feveral  other  dogs,  whole 
peaceful :  {lumbers  he  had  difturbed,  as  they  lay 
itretched  round  the  comfortable  hearth  of  the 
Jiofpitable  parlour.  The  rain  pattered  againft 


A     N  O  V  E  L,  135 

the  windows,  and  the  wind  loud  whittled  through 
the  trees,  which  hardly  f uttered  them  todiiViu- 
ginih  the  rattling  of  carriage  wheels,  till  it  ap 
proached  clofe  to  the  outward  gate.  Mary's 
heart  ilr(\  bounded  high  \rith  fluttering  expec 
tation,  and  then  funk  with  dire  difmay. 

The  inhabitantsof  Allanbank  foon  aflembledat 
the  door ;  from  whence  ^  after  a  ihort  interval 
of  painful  fufpence,  they  could  perceive,  by  the 
glimmering  light  of  the  different  candles  they 
held,  a  female  form,  which,  lightly  tripping 
uptbela-wiij  was  enquiring  of  every  one  ihe 
faw,  whether  Mifs  Stuart  was  there  ?  On  be 
ing  anfv:  ered  in  the  affirmative,  ihe  fiew  to  her 
embrace,  and,  without  giving  Mary  time  to 
recoiled  herfelf,  a  feed  her  if  ihe  had  quite  for 
gotten  her  old  friend,  Sophia  Beaumont  ? 

•<**•*  . 
Mary  drew  back  with  fear,  as  thinking    me 

beheld  her  ghoil ;  for  how  could  mother  St. 
Etienne,  a  confirmed  nun  of  one  of  the  ftri<fteft 
orders  in  France,  be  not  only  liberated  from 
her  confinement,  but  alfo  a  folitary  wanderer 
in  a  remote  part  of  a  kingdom  to  which  fhe  was 
an  entire  ftranger?  A  moment's  paufe  con 
vinced  her  ;  and  that  moment  drew  a  tear  of 
blood  from  her  heart,  as  it  brought  to  her  re 
membrance  the  ikuation  of  -perfecuted  France  ! 
that  country  in  which  Ihe  had  palled  fome  of  the 
happieit  hours  of  unconfcious  infancy  ;  where 
fhe  had  fo  often  witnefFed  the  gay  dance,  the 
feilive  board,  the  jocund  long,  and  all  the 
fprightly  attributes  of  light-footed  felicity. 
Alas]  how  fad^  how  bitter,  how .  fudden, 

M   2, 


136        THE     CONTRAST: 

how    heart-breaking,  was     now   the  vaft   ?&. 
vcrfe  ! 

Mary  welcomed  her  friend  with  unfeigned 
iatisfaction,  and  when  fupper  was  over,  Mi  fa 
Beaumont  began  her  pathetic  narration.  She 
dwelt  with  pity  oa  the  violation  of  every  facred 
jriilmition.  The  Catholic  religion,  whole  out 
ward  forms  pourtrayecl  the  excels  of  romantic 
iuperftition,  now  flood  unmaiked,  and  terrible 
to  view.  The  favage  chiefs  of  France,  whof« 
hands  were  perpetually  employed  in  fheddmg 
without  mercy  the  blood  of  innocents,  had  laid 
low  the  buildings  that  were  devoted  to  the  fer- 
\  ice  of  God,  and  at  length  dared  to  deny  his 
name.  Nor  did  ihe  forget  (while  the  tear  of 
pity  dreamed  down  her  cheeks,  and  down 
thole  of  her  auditors)  the  holy  fifterhood  of 
her  now  violated,  but  once  facred,  afylumc 
Thofc  aged  and  venerable  nuns,  whole  life  had 
been  fpent  within  its  quiet  walls,  and  who, 
devoted  iince  childhood  to  their  religion,  had 
peaceably  and  uniformly  fulfilled  its  duties, 
were  now  torn  by  the  rough  hand  of  violence- 
from  their  folitary  cells,  and  expofed  to  buffet 
with  the  ftormsof  a  world  they  had  never  feen, 
and  of  which  they  had  coveted  only  A  GRAVE  ! 

The  great  clock  (truck  twelve ;  and,  by  re 
minding  them  of  the  latenefs  of  the  hour,  re- 
leafed  the  compailionate  hearts  under  the  roof 
at  Allanbank  from  dwelling  farther  on  the  me 
lancholy  tale  ;  and  Mifs  Beaumont,  fatigued 
by  her  long  journey,  was  glad  to  retire  as  foon 
as  fiie  had  fatisned  them  of  the  means  which 
brought  her  thither,  An  Engliih  family  to 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  137 

whom  (he  was  unknown  had  conducted  her  by 
che  way  of  Oftend  to  London,  and  fupplied  her 
with  money  more  than  fufficient  to  defray  her 
expences  to  Scotland.  This  charming  girl, 
though  French  by*  birth,  was  calculated  to  a- 
dorn  human  nature ;  her  heart  recoiled  at  the 
horrors  exercifed  by  her  ferocious  countrymen, 
horrors  fo  great  they  want  a  name,  and  beggar 
all  defcription  I 


M 


THE     CONTRAST- 


CHAP.        XXX. 


T  would  be  difficult  to  meet  with  minds 
more  perfectly  congenial  than  were  thofe  of 
Mary  Stuart  and  Sophia  Beaumont.  They 
were  charmed  with  the  ibciety  of  each  other, 
yet  Mils  Beaumont's  delicacy  was  wounded  by 
her  being  wholly  dependent  on  her  friends. 
From  this  motive  me  wifhed,  after  a  few 
months  reiidence  at  Allanbank,  to  remove  from 
it  till  fuch  time  as  ihe  might  be  able  to  with 
draw  her  {lender  fortune  out  of  the  hands  of 
her  family.  She  was  an  adept  at  all  kinds  of 
needle-woik,  and  thought  it  might  be  practica 
ble  for  her  to  gain  a  maintenance  at  Edin 
burgh  ;  but  Mils  Stuart's  precarious  ftate  of 
health  would  not  permit  her  to  hint  at  it.  She 
\vasevery  day  fornewhat  weaker  than  the  for 
mer  one;  yet  with  that  flattering  hope  which 
is  almoft  conftantly  attendant  on  her  fatal  difor- 
der,  {he  derived  the  moi\  fanguine  expectations 
of  her  recovery  with  the  approaching  fpring. 
Mils  Beaumont  and  Mr.  Courtenay  wereinde- 
migably  attentive  to  her  ;  but  the  Colonel  was 
too  well  aware  of  her  danger,  not  to  ftand 
himfelf  in  need  of  that  afliftance  he  endeavour 
ed  to  give  his  dying  daughter. 

Ler  ftoicks  enjoy  their  frigid    infenfibility^ 


A    NOVEL,  109 

^j  f. 

and  philofophers  boa  ft  the  command  of  pailions 
they  never  felt ;  but  where  is  the  heart  endued 

With     NATURAL       TENDERNESS,        that      COllld 

have  refrained  fyrnpathizing  with  Mifs  Beau- 
moat  iu  her  feelings  for  her  friend  ? — Courte- 
nay's  could  not.  His  admiration  of  her  amia 
ble  difpoiition,  which  was  fo  feelingly  difplay- 
ed  on  this  melancholy  occafion,  led  him  by  de 
grees  to  a  more  tender  fentiment,  which  he 
had  fome  reafon  to  think  did  not  remain  long, 
unnoticed  by  the  lovely  Sophiav 

It  was  an  union  that  Mifs  Stuart  ardently 
wifhed  ;  and  the  deep  bluihes  which  had  once 
overfpread  Mifs  Beaumont's  face  on  hearing 
his  name  inadvertently  mentioned,  confirmed 
her  in  the  opinion  (he  had  formed  of  their  mu 
tual  attachment.  I  have  already  faid  that  Mr, 
Courtenay  poireffed  a  coniiderable  fortune  in 
Ireland;  but  his  generous  foul  diidained  the  idea 
of  hoarding  money,  and  it  was  not  unufual  for 
him  to  exceed  the  bounds  of  his  income  by 
deeds  of  charity  and  benevolence.  He  was  at 
this  time  about  fifty  years  of  age ;  and  had  ram 
bled  fufficiently  about  the  world,  to  wiih  to  be 
at  length  quietly  fettled  in  it.  He  had  partly 
determined  on  going  to  Ireland  for  that  pur- 
pole,  when  he  law  Mifs  Beaumont.  His  paf- 
iion  for  Mils  Stuart  had  worn  away  in  propor 
tion  as  his  hopes  of  being  united  to  her  dimi- 
mined, 

Mifs  Stuart  fent  for  him  one  morning  into 
her  dreiling-room  ;  and  taking  from  a  drawer  a 
miniature  of  herfelf  that  had  been  done  in  Italy 


I4o         THE     CONTRAST: 


(and  which,  contrary  to  her  expectation,  Glen- 
cairn  had  not  afked  for  at  his  departure),  pre- 
fented  it  to  him.  She  requeued  that  he  would 
give  it  to  Mifs  Beaumont  ;  adding,  that  (he 
was  greatly  rniftaken  in  her  Conjectures  if  fhe 
did  not  receive  it  with  additional  fatisfadlion 
from  his  hands. 

This  fpeech  was  too  flattering  to  the  wifhes 
of  Mr.  Courtenay,  to  be  mifunderftoodbyhim. 
His  next  care,  after  giving  the  picture  as  deiir- 
ed,  was  to  open  his  mind  to  Colonel  Stuart, 
and  to  repeat  to  him  what  had  paiTed.  The 
young  ladies  had  already  come  to  an  explanati 
on  on  the  fubjeft  ;  and  before  evening  it  was 
refolved  on,  with  the  hearty  concurrence  of  all 
parties,  that  Mr.  Courtenay  fliould  receive  the 
hand  of  Sephia. 

In  lefs  than  three  weeks  he  had  made  an  ho 
nourable  fettlement  on  his  fair  intended  ;  and 
foon  after,  the  marriage  was  folernnized.  Mi  is 
Stuart  inlifted  on  being  prefent  at  the  ceremo 
ny,  but  fainted  before  it  was  over,  and  was 
with  difficulty  conveyed  from  the  church  to  her 
chamber.  Her  heart  rejoiced  at  the  happinefs 
of  her  friend  :  but  it  brought  fad  recollections 
to  her  mind,  and  was  near  fubduing  the  little 
ftrength  that  was  left  her.  Mr.  Courtenay  hi 
red  a  finall  hou-fe  that  was  fortunately  vacant 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Allanbank,  as'  they 
\v  ere  determined  nor,  to  leave  Mifs  Stuart  till 
the  curtain  of  death  had  been  gently  drawn  o~ 
yer  the  lail  fcene  of  her  exiftence*. 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  141 

They  had  been  fettled  there  about  ten 
months,  and  Mrs.  Courtenay's  fituation  was 
fuch  as  to  require  every  precaution  and  care 
that  a  fond  hufband,  and  anxious  friend,  could 
bellow  on  it,  when  it  unfortunately  happened 
that  ihe  was  one  evening  fitting  with  Mifs 
Stuart  in  her  apartment,  and  the  London 
newfpapers  arrived.  Mrs.  Courtenay  opened 
them,  and  began  to  read  ;  but  had  not  proceed 
ed  far,  when  (he  faw  the  words  Melville  CaiUe* 
Eager  to  fatisfy  her  own  impatience,  and  that 
of  her  unhappy  friend,  fhe  began  to  go  through 
the  paragraph  ;  but  flopped  in  the  middle  of  it, 
gave  a  loud  fcream,  and  fell  in  hyfterics  on  the 
iloor.  Her  cries  foon  brought  the  fervants  up 
(lairs,  who  were  followed  by  the  Colonel  and 
Mr.  Courtenay.  The  fatal  myftery  was  in- 
ilantly  revealed  ;  the  alarming  paragraph  dat 
ed  that  the  Melville  Cattle  was  arrived  fafe  at 
Madras  ;  but  that  a  boat  belonging  to  her  had' 
funk  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbour,  and  that 
all  the  perfons  on  board  had  unfortunately  pe 
ri  ihcd, 

Mifs  Stuart  difplayed  the  moft  heroic  forti 
tude  on  this  oceafion  ;  her  fears  for  her  friend 
iuperfeded  every  felfifh  pang,  and  ihe  feemed 
to  foar  above  mortality.  She  ihed  no  tears, 
but  fweetly  fmiled  as  Mrs.  Courtenay  recover 
ed,  and  even  endeavoured  to-  perfuade  them 
that  fhe  had  a  prefentiment  of  Glencairn's  not 
being  of  the  number  of  thofe  unhappy  paflen- 
gers.  A  premature  delivery,  and  the  death  of 
her  child,  were  the  only  ill  confequences  that 
befel  Mrs.  Courtenay  ;  and  which,  by  detain- 


C  O  N  T  R  A  S  T: 

ing  her  at  Allanbank,  was  not  unaccompanied 
by  confutation  to  Mils  Stuart,  who  was  too  ill 
to  villt  at  her  houfe,  and  derived  her  greateft 
comfort  on  attending  her,  in  a  room  adjoining. 
to  her  own.  Mrs.  Courtenay  foon  recovered  ; 
but  it  was  to  witnefs  a  fcene  which-,-  though 
ihe  had  long  expefted,  fhe  was  ill  prepared  for. 
Mifs  Stuart  found  herfelf  one  day  fo  much 
better,  that  fhe  requeited  they  would  all  indulge 
her  by  dining  in  her  room.  She  had  drafted 
herfelf  to  receive,  as  ihe  (aid,  her  vifitors, 
with  unufuai  care.  When  dinner  was  over,  ihe 
defired  Mr.  Courtenay  to  lead  her  to  the  piano 
forte  ;  when  faintly  touching  the  ciifcordaat 
firings,  ihe  endeavoured  to  go  through  her  fa 
vourite  air, 

I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth, 

which  ihe  attempted  to  accompany  with  her 
voice  ;  but  her  itrength  failed  in  the  attempt, 
and  ihe  fimk  motkmleis  on  the  chair.  When 
Ihe  came  ta  herfelf,  ihe  affectingly  took  a  hand 
of  her  father's,  and  repeatedly  prefled  it  to  her 
lips.  She  then  for  the  fir  it  time  acknowledged 
to  thern  ail,  that  fhe  was  feniible  of  her  ap 
proaching  diflblution.  She  begged  the  Colonel 
would  comply  with  her  requeit,  and,  in  cafe 
of  Glencairn's  returning  to  England,  that  he 
would  make  him  his  heir  ;  faying,  (he  could 
not  die  in  peace  unlefs  ihe  obtained  the  promife 
ofthat  whichlay  neareft  to  her  heart.  '  In  half- 
broken  fentences  he  allured  her  of  it,  and  bade 
lier  be  comforted,  » 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  143 

Towards  evening  fhe  begged  of  Mr.  Courte- 
nay  to  read  prayers  to  her,  and  defired  that  all 
the  fervants  might  be  called  up  flairs  to  join  in 
the  pious  Icene.  Soon  after  they  were  over, 
fhe  called  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Courtenay,  and  the 
Colonel,  round  her  chair  ;  and  embraced  the 
•  two  former  as  fhe  prayed  of  God  to  blels  them. 
But  when  her  father  drew  near  ;  when  ihe  felt 
his  arms  clinging  round  her  wailt,  as  if  to 
fhield  her  from  the  tyrant  who  was  advancing 
with  hafty  fteps  to  feparate  them  for  ever,  ihe 
faintly  articulated  the  word  farewell  ;  her  head 
funk  on  his  boibm,  and  with  a  deep  and  heavy 
expired  I 


It  was  fome  time  before,  they  could  perfuadc 
themfelves  Ihe  was  dead  ;  a  faint  glow  tinged 
her  cheek,  and  a  fweet  fmile  was  viiible  on  her 
countenance,  from  the  moment  the  feparatioa 
of  the  foul  and  body  had  taken  place.  They 
laid  her  gently  on  the  bed,  and  applied  a  mir 
ror  to  her  lips.  But  the  faithful  rnoniter  refuf- 
ed  to  deceive.  Her  breath  was  fled  ;  and  her 
foul,  already  towering  beyond  the  confines  of 
mortality,  was  reaping  the  reward  of  inno* 
pence  and  virtue, 


*44        T"     £  O  N  T  R  A  S 


C    H    A    P.        XXXI. 


MR  S.  Courtenay  -refigned  to  her  hufband 
the  melancholy  office  of  confoling  the 
affli&ed  Colonel,  \vho  vainly  endeavoured  to 
reconcile  himfelf  to  the  fad  feparation.  He 
however  derived  comfort  from  the  idea  that  it 
could  not  be  of  long  duration,  for  .he  felt  that 
he  fhould  not  long  furvive  his  Mary.  He 
took  a  mournful  pleafure  in  decorating  her 
ienfelefs  corfe  with  fuch  flowers  as  his  humble 
green-houfe  could  fupply.  He  watched  the  fad 
proceflion  as  it  moved  from  the  houfe  ;  at  the 
head  of  it,  was  the  faithful  M4Kenzie,  bending 
herpaliied  frame  towards  the  earth  in  Ipeechlefs 
woe.  Mr.  Courtenay  fupported  her  ;  nor  did 
his  manly  countenance  lofe  fight  of  its  dignity- 
while  overfpread  with  the  tears  of  affe&ion  and 
fympathy.  Eight  young  Highland  girls  bore 
the  precious  burden  to  its  deftined  home  ;  and 
the  folemn  fcene  was  conduced  with  that  filent 
a\ve  which  intermingles  itfelf  with  pious  refig* 
nation  to  the  infcrutable  will  of  Heaven. 

The  ceremony  oyer,  the  mourners  return- 
ed  ;  and  by  degrees,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Courtenay 
left  Colonel  Stuart's  houfe  to  inhabit  once  more 
their  own.  Yet  they  continued  a$  one  family, 
and  omitted  nothing  that  could  tend  towards 


A    NOVEL.  145 

alleviating  the  diftreffes  of  their  venerable 
friend.  But  this  care  was  not  long  allotted 
them.  In  a  few  weeks,  Colonel  Stuart  entreat 
ed  them  to  give  up  their  houfe,  and  to  take 
polTeilion  of  Allanbank  ;  conlidering  it  as  their 
depoQt  till,  by  the  unavoidable  arrangement  of 
his  affairs,  it  might  hereafter  become  neceiTary, 
through  Glencairn's  return,  for  them  to  re 
linquish  it. 

He  foon  after  made  his  will,  and  difpofed  of 
•every  thing  as  his  daughter  had  directed  ;  allot 
ting  only  ibme  trifling  legacies  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Courtenay  ;  a  fmall  but  fufficient  annuity  to 
Mrs.  M^Kenzie ;  and  remembrances  to  his 
.other  domeftics  in  proportion  to  their  age  and 
fervices.  He  farther  ttipulated,  that  in  cafe  of 
Glencairn's  death  without  iiTue,  his  whole  pro 
perty  was  to  devolve  to  Mrs.  Courtenay,  and 
HER  heirs  for  ever.  The  bufinefs  of  life  being 
finally  fettled,  the  excellent  Colonel  Stuart  re- 
figned  his  breath,  while  glorifying  his  Redeem 
er  that  had  heard  his  prayer,  and  was  going  to 
reftore  him  to  his  Mary, 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Courtenay  remained  in  quiet 
pofleifion  of  Allanbank.  Exemplary  patterns  of 
domeftic  felicity,  they  had  already  palled  three 
years  there ;  during  which  Heaven  bleiTed 
them  with  two  children  ;  nor  did  they  know  a 
day's  feparation,  till  Mr.  Courtenay  went  to 
Ireland  for  fix  weeks,  on  bufinefs  relative  to 
his  own  affairs.  His  amiable  Sophia  refufed  all 
ibciety  but  that  of  her  children  and  the  worthy 
McKenzie  ;  who  being  now  tooold  to  interfere 
N 


a 


146  THE     CONTRAST: 

in  houfehold  management,  was  become  her 
conftant  companion.  They  could  not  hear  of 
Glencairn,  though  they  had  ufed  every  endea 
vour  to  know  his  fate,  on  the  retiirn  of  the 
Melville  Cattle.  All  they  could  -difcover, 
was,  that  he  was  not  of  the  number  of  the 
..drowned  pafTengers  in  the  boat.  They  had 
landed  him  at  Madras;  and  from  their  not  ha 
ving  received  any  tidings  of  him  fmce,  they 
concluded  that  he  was  either  removed  to  fome 
more  diftant  part  of  India,  or  died  loon  after 
.his  arrival  there.  But  they  did  not  appropriate 
any  part  of  his  intended  fortune  to  their  own 
ufe  ;  they  ttudiouily  endeavoured  to  accumu 
late,  and  enjoyed  the  pleafing,  diiinterefted 
hope,  •  that  {till  exifted,  of  his  return  to  the  full 
enjoyment  of  it. 

Let  us  now  revert  to  the  ill- treated  Lady 
Jane  Mar  tin  dale ;  who,  hurried  progrellively 
from  one  falfe  ftep  to  another,  found  many 
Lord  Darnleys,  but  few  friends.  Old  Mar- 
tindale  frequently  vilrted  her  ;  but  ihocking  to 
relate  !  loon  convinced  her,  by  his  proposals, 
of  the  depravity  of  his  mind.  He  fold  her  that 
her  future  fortune  was  in  his  hands,  and  that 
he  would  provide  for,  or  forfake  her,  accor 
ding  to  her  treatment  of  him.  He  queitioned 
her  as  to  the  ttate  of  her  prefent  finances;  and 
on  finding  that  her  thoughtlefs  extravagance 
had  reduced  them  to  the  loweft  ebb,  he  threw 
a  fifty  pound  not  on  the  table,  and  endeavourr 
ed  to  extort  from  horror  and  fear,  a  facrifice  that 
in  a  generous  breaft  mult  be  ever  facred  to  love 
alone. 


A    N  O  V  £  L,  147 

fallen  as  me  already  was  in  her  own  efteem, 
and  in  chat  of  others,  ihe  yet  could  not  hear  a 
fentiment  fo  degrading  to  humanity,  without 
feeling  a  mixture  of  terror  and  furpriie.  Though 
reduced  to  the  lait  exigences,  fhe  would  fain 
have  returned  the  note  to  its  defpicable  owner: 
but  he  indited,  on  leaving  it  ;  and,  ihewing 
evident  fymptoms  of  difappointment  and  confu- 
fion,  foon  after  took  his  leave. 

Lady  Jane  gave  herfelf  up  a  prey  to  inward 
defpair,  and  outward  diiiipa.tion.  While  the 
tears  rofe  in  crimfon  torrents  from  her  heart, 
{he  wildly  decorated  her  perlbn  with  the  iniig- 
nies  of  joy  ;  and  ibuglit  a  tranfuory  relief  ia 
falfe  pleafures,  while  (he  continued  to  be  a 
Granger  to  every  real  one.  The  doors  thai; 
flickered  virtue,  were  clofely  barred  againft 
her  approach  ;  thofe  of  vice,  only,  llcod  upon 
to  receive  her.  In  every  new  lover,  ihe  fought 
a  friend  ;  in  every  new  lover,  {he  gained  au 
enemy.  She  had  heard  of  Mifs  Stuart's  death, 
but  to  Glencairn'sfate  (he  was  wholly  indiffer 
ent.  Several  weeks  elapfed  without  her  hear 
ing  any  thing  more  of  old  Mr.  Martindale ;  and 
fo  invincible  was  her  prefent  averfion  to  him, 
that  although  from  motives  of  prudence  ihe 
\vas  with-held  from  publickly  expoilng  him, 
ihe  rejoiced  at  her  deliverance  from  the 
light  of  fo  unworthy,  fo  unprincipled  a  relati 
on. 

She  was  one  clay   waited   on  by   an  elderly 
gentleman,  whofe    appearance   prejudiced  her 
warmly  in  his  favour.     He  fpoke  the  language 
N  2, 


i'4«       THE     CONTRAST: 

of  pity,  and  of  friendly  advice ;  founds  to 
which  Hie  had  been  long  unaccuitomed.  After 
the  neceilary  introduction,  he  informed  her 
that  Mr.  Martindale,  fenior,  died  fuddenly 
t\vo  days  before,  in  an  apoplectic  fit,  and  that 
his  will  had  been  that  morning  read,  a  codicil 
was  found  to  have  been  lately  added  to  it,  by 
which  he  ratified  to  Lady  Jane  the  enjoyment 
of  the  two  thoitfand  pounds  per  annum,  in  cafe 
of  her  (iirviviiig  her  hufband  ;  but  that  he  had 
not  bequeathed  her,  for  temporary  fupplies^ 
any  legacy  whatever. 

Lady  Jane  cared  fo  little  about  worldly  con 
cerns,  that  ihe  heard  of  this  difappointmem 
without  the  leaftdifcompofure.  Her  rnind  had 
now  yielded  to  that  itate  of  hurried  perplexity, 
that  did  not  allow  her  time  to  reflect  on  all  the 
miferies  attending  her  hapleis  fituation.  She 
had  taken  an  elegant  houie  in  town ;  and  its 
expences  were  unceafingly  defrayed  by  the  di 
vers  fucceflbrs  to  her  attention.  All  inter- 
courfe  between  her  and  the  little  Louifa  Darn- 
ley  had  been  long  fince  prohibited  by  the  un 
feeling  lord  ;  who,  callous  to  misfortunes  of 
v  hich  he  had  been  a  principle  author,  now 
wantonly  regarded  her,  wherever  he  met  her, 
with  the  piercing  look  of  ineffable  contempt. 
The  affection  Ihe  once  bore  him  was  totally  ob 
literated  ;  and  me  could  meet  him  and  Mifs 
Fielding  together,  which  was  not  unufual.  be 
holding  them  with  the  lame  degree  of  contempt 
which  they  did  not  fail  manifeiting  towards  her 
upon  every  occafioiu 


A     NOVEL.  149 

A  black  coach,  and  all  the  outward  trappings 
of  woe,  were  the  tokens  by  which  Hie  foon 
defcried  Mrs.  Martindale  ;  who  daily  paraded 
the  Park  and  Bond-ftreet  with  all  the  folemnity 
of  DECENT  widowhood.  To  this  was  oppofed 
the  gaudy  equipage  of  Lady  Darnley,  late 
Mifs  Fielding  ;  but  this  did  not  excite  in  the 
breaftof  La4y  Jane,  one  fenfation  of  forrow, 
envy,  or  furprife.  Her  feelings  were  howe 
ver  powerfully  affected  by  a  premeditated  infuk 
fhe  received  from  Lady  Darnley,  a  few  days 
after  her  marriage  ;  who  having  flopped  her 
carriage  one  morning  at  a  Ihop  in  Bond-ftreet, 
was  fpeaking  to  one  of  the  people  at  the  coach 
door,  when  Lady  Jane  palfed  by.  Mifs  Darn- 
ley  was  with  her,  and  eagerly  called  to  Lady 
Jane  ;  when  Lady  Darnley  fuddenly  drew  the 
fpring  blind,  to  prevent  her  enjoying  the  (len 
der,  fatisfaclion  of  even  looking  at  her. 


THE     C  O  N  T  R  A  S 


CHAP.        XXXI  I. 

MR  S.  Martindale  did  not  long  remain  a 
widow.     Ere    the     long  twelvemonth 
was  expired,  during  \vhich  it  was  neceiiary  for 
her  to  fubmit  to  the  doleful  attire,  and    to   put 
up  with  a  corner  of  one  of  her  drawing  room 
windows  being  darkened    by  a  hatchment,  flie 
made  a  promife  that  when  once  the  happy  peri- 
oxl  arrived,    fhe  would  bettow    her  hand  on   a 
more  fuitable  lover  than  Hie  had  found   in   her 
old  man.     Captain  O'Trigger,  whofe    comrnif- 
fion  centered  in  a  daihvng  cockade,  had  paraded 
his  ponies  about  the  city  of  Bath  during   feveral 
ieaibns.     But,  though  the  gaming   tables  were 
in  general  propitious  to  him,    the   chofen  focie- 
ties  were  not  fo.     ThemiiTes   all    vowed,  that 
Captain    OTrigger  \vas    the   fineft  fellow   in 
Bath  ;  but  the   mammas    and    guardians  gave 
him  fo  little  encouragement,  that  the   Captain 
at  length  thought  it  beft  to  beat   a   precipitate 
retreat,  and  try    his   fuccefs  in    London.     He 
\vas  a  fine,  tall,  handfome  looking  man  ;  neat, 
but  prepoiterous  in  his  drefs,    and   fond  to  a  de 
gree  of  his  perfon.     No  man  knew  better  than 
himfelf  the  names  of  all  the   different    eflences 
and  pomatums  imported  from  India  and  France. 
From  the  powerful  otto  of  rofes,  down    to  the 
more  reviving,  but  more  humble  lavender  wa- 


A    NOVEL.  151 

rer,  his  dr effing- room  was  the  repoiitory  of 
them  all;  which,  together  with  his  ponies,  a 
few  fans  from  Italy,  and  fome  pots  of  rouge 
warranted  vegetable  (the  two  latter  articles  he 
referved  for  the  happy  fair  on  whom  he  might 
hereafter  fix  his  choice,)  compofed  the  whole 
ftqck  in  trade  of  this  FASHIONABLE  MILITARY 
HERO. 

Captain  O 'Trigger,  whofe  modefty  was  not 
in  the  habit  of  laying  any  embargo  on  his  in 
clinations,  no  fooner  beheld  our  young  wido\vr 
and  was  informed  who  ihe  was,  than  he  deter 
mined  to  lay  clofe  liege  to  her  ;  and  as  an  ad 
vantageous  marriage  was  the  firft  grand  object 
of  his  puriuit,  he  was  refolved  to  transform  his 
character  into  exactly  any  one  .  that  he  might 
find  on  father  enquiry  would  be  moft  likely  to 
determine  her  in  his  favour,. 

He  bega/r  to  try  the  whole  battery  of  his  ar 
tillery  againftthe  vain  Mrs.  Martindale ;  firir, 
by  the  aid  of  a  fmall  glafs,  fnfpended  to  a  black 
ribbon,  and  dangling  from  his  neck;  with 
which  he  affailed  her  wherever  the  went  • 
while  the  expreilion  of  a  damned  fine  ivoman  ! 
was  uttered  JUST  loud  enough  to  catch  her 
ear.  At  firft  ilie  thought  his  accents  favoured 
rather  too  much  of  the  brogue ;  but  at  length 
cuftom  reconciled  her  to  him,  and  Ihe  hazarded 
not  ere  long  to  avow  a  diftinguiihed  preference 
to  Captain  OTngger  over  the  reft  of  his  com 
petitors, 

'He  foon  became  the  acknowledged  intended 


THE     CONTRAST: 

of  the  beautiful  widow  ;  not  that  ihe  cared  for 
him  in  her  heart,  bat  her  vanity  was  gratified 
at  the  idea  of  mortifying  her  rivals,  whom  her 
opinion  had  magnified  into  a  much  greater 
number  than  even  Captain  OTrigger  himlelf 
could  lay  reafonably  any  claim  to. 

The  lad  few  weeks  of  Mrs.  Martindale's 
funeral  appearance  were  dedicated  to  preparati 
ons  for  her  approaching  nuptials;  on  the 
itrength  of  which,  her  favourite  Captain  was 
enabled  to  cut  a  much  greater  figure  than  be 
fore.  A  fumptuous  vis  a-vis  was  building  at 
Hatchett's,  by  HIS  exprefs  order;  and  in 
which  his  tafte  ihone  confpicuous.  She  was  per 
fectly  convinced  of  the  iincere  attachment  of 
this  Knight  of  Indufkry,  and  in  giving  him  her 
hand,  bei\o\;ed  on  him  alfo  her  OWN  houfc  in, 
Devonihire-place ;  and  every  appendage  of  lux 
ury  ihe  parted  with  in  his  favour,  with  as  lit 
tle  difficulty  as  me  herfelf  had  formerly  obtain 
ed  them, 

For  fome  months  the  torch  of  Hymen  blazed 
with  unremitting  ardour  ;  but  the  inilability  of 
human  happinels  foon  overpowered,  and  at 
.  length  wholly  extiriguiihed  it.  Mrs.  Martin- 
dale  (now  Mrs.  OTrigger  )  was  fatally  con 
vinced  that  .flie  was  the  dupe  of  a  deiigning  for 
tune-hunter  ;  for  fuch  in  reality  was  her  chofen 
mate. 

It  would  be  needle is  to  detail  the  many  oc 
currences  which  led  to  the  fad  reverfe  of  for 
tune  fhe  was  henceforward  fated  to  undergo. 


A    N  O  V  E  L.  153 

Her  hufband's  extravagance  manifefted  itfelf  at 
the  gaming-tables,  and  elfewhere.  Her  mo 
ney  Sheltered  him  from  a  goal,  but  its  fource 
was  not  inexhauftible  ;  and  ihe  had  na  fooner 
deprived  herfelf  of  every  future  comfort,  for 
his  prefer vation,  than  he  left  her  to  lament  her 
error  in  obfcurity  and  poverty.  Captain 
OTrigger,  after  felling  her  houfe  and  all  ihe^ 
was  poiieft  of,  at  length  wholly  deferred  her  j 
and  the  only  account  ihe  ever  after  received  of 
hirn  was  that  of  his  having  returned  to  a  for 
mer  wife  in  Ireland,  with  whom  he  had  fled  to 
fome  diftant  clime,  far  beyond  the  reach  of  law,, 
juftice,  honour,  or  humanity. 

Lady  Jane  Martindale  continued  for  a  time 
to  runt-he  giddy  round  of  though  tkis diilipatu 
on  ;  but  her  heart,  that  kad  ever  unwillingly 
yielded  to  its  dictates,  was  iben  tired  of  its  tran* 
i\ent  gratifications,  and  fighed  after  the  hum 
ble  fcenes  of  peaceful  retirement.  But  thefe,, 
alas  !  were  no  longer  within  the  boundary  of 
her  own  acquifition.  She  had  no  friend  to  ir.p- 
port  her  tattering  fteps  ;  na  foothing  hand  was 
Irr etched  forth  to  yield  her  comfort ;  no  confo- 
latory  parental  voice  remained  to  welcome  her 
out  of  the  path  af  vice,  She  was,  as  it  werer 
left  alone  in  the  vaft  univerfe  ;  the  fmall  falary 
allotted  her  by  Mr.  Martindale  ihe  duly  re 
ceived  ;  and  hkhcrt«  temporary  additions  to  it 
from  her  acquaintance  had  not  failed  her  ;  but 
(lie  knew  thefe  could  not  lait  long,,  and  ihe  had 
acquired  experience  enough  to  teach  her  that 
tfaey  would  exift  no  longer  than  £he  was  inclkx- 


154  THE    CONTRA  S.T: 

cd  to  facriiice  her  happinefs  to  the  enjoyment 
of  them. 


In  this  fituation,{fhe  had  already  continue*! 
fome  years,  anxious  to  exchange  it,  yet  not 
poifeilmg  refolution  enough  to  effect  it,  -when 
fhe  was  one  morning  furprifed  by  the  appear 
ance  of  Giencairn.  He  was  fo  much  altered  in 
perfon,  that  ilie  Had  at  hrit  fome  difficulty  to 
recollecl;  him  ;  but  his  heart  was  the  fame.  He 
had  already  been  m  Scotland,  where  he  had 
taken  po Hellion  of  Colonel  Stuart's  eftate  ;  lull 
infilling,  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Courtenay  Ihould 
not  quit  Allanbank.  His  voyage  to  India  had 
not  been  profperous.  Mr.  Smart's  affairs  were, 
when  he  arrived  there,  in  fo  deranged  a  fitua- 
tioa,  that,  aii'his  death,  which  happened  foon 
afterwards,  they  were  found  to  be  little  worth 
the  trouble  that  had  been  taken  on  their  ac 
count  ;  and  he  was  at  length  obliged  to  aban 
don  them,  after  having  obtained  but  a  very 
Sender  advantage  in  favour  of  his  friend  and 
patron.  But  the  relidue  of  Colonel  Stuart's 
fortune  was  yet  more  rhan  fufticient  to  anfwer 
any  purpofe  of  his  own.  He  had  liberality  of 
fentiment  fuffieient  to  make  every  allowance 
in  favour  of  Lady  Jane  Martindale's  miftaken 
conduct ;  and  while  he  could  yet  entertain  the 
hope  of  making  H.ER  happy,  the  praife,  or  the 
cenfure  of  an  ill-judging  world  were  to  him  e- 
^ually -  indifferent. 

He  prevailed  on  her  to  accompany  him  to 
Edinburgh,  where  (lie  Toon  convinced  him 
that  the  genuine  u-prighcnefs  of  her  heart  had 


A    NOVEL,  ir* 

<»/»_/ 

4 

remained  uncontaiirinated  by  fafhknaUs  levity. 
Nor  was  me  long  there,  before,  by  her  ad  mil- 
Con  into  a  refpectable  family,  and  the  delicate 
caution  obferved  by  Glencairn  in  his  vifits  to 
her,  ihe  gained  that  countenance  and  refpecl 
which  had  been  wrenched  from  her  in  England 
by  the  iron  hand  of  cruelty,  injuftice,  and  op- 
preiiion.  Not  a  year  had  paiFed  after  this  hap 
py  tranfition,  before  the  death  of  Mr.  Mar- 
tindale,  by  liberating  her  from  the  moft  facred, 
and  moft  abufed  of  engagements,  enabled  her 
to  beftow  her  hand,  and  large  encreafe  of  for 
tune,  on  him  who  had  fo  nobly  deierved  them. 
The  amiable  Mrs.  'Cotirtenay  fhone  forth  on 
this  occ&fion  the  bright  reprelentative  of  SPOT 
LESS  virtue.  She  knew  how  to  pity  thofe  er 
rors  flie  had  never  known  ;  and  thofe  tempta 
tions  which,  as  me  fweetly,  laid,  ihe  might 
not  have  been  able  to  have  withftood,  had  fate 
dealt  by  her  with  the  fame  feverity  it  had  done 
towards  Lady  JaneMartindale.  The  pomp  of 
widowhood  would  have  been  but  ill  difplayed 
by  that  hitherto  unfortunate  lady.  She  neither 
affected  the  weeds  of  forrow,  nor  the  trophies 
of  joy  ;  but  with  all  the  decorum  due  to  her- 
felf,  and  to  thofe  with  whom  me  was  now  fo 
happily  connected  Ihe  furrendered,  as  foon  as 
decency  would  permit,  the  name  of Martindale^ 
and  became  entitled  to  the  more  happy  one  of 
Glencairn. 

In  a  fhort  time  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Courtenay  in- 
fifted  on  putting  them  into  pbiTeffion  of  Allan- 
bank,  and  themfelves  retired  to  their  eftate  in 
Ireland.  Glencairn  gloried  in  the  fuccefs  of 


156        THE     CONTRAST      &c. 

his  unfhaken  fidelity.  Lady  Jane  proved  her- 
felf  the  woman  of  honor  and  gratitude,  by  the 
conftant  re&itude  and  unremitting  care  of  her 
condncl  ;  nor  was  Glencairn  lefs  remarkable  as 
a  huiband,  than  he  had  hitherto  been  from  his 
fteady  attachmenc  as  a  lover,  to  the  objeft  of 
his  fir  ft  choice, 

Mrs.  OTrigger  plunged  into  excefs  of  wan 
ton  depravity  ;  and  a  refufal  of  Lady  Jane's 
propofal  to  receive  and  proteft  her  at  Allan- 
bank  was  the  only  inttance  of  denial  fhe  ex 
perienced  from  her  indulgent  hufband.  His 
acquiefcence  to  pecuniary  offers  was  not  how 
ever  with-held  from  her,  while  any  hope  re 
mained  of  her  defer ving  fuch  an  aclof  kindnefs; 
but  her  life  was  at  length  wholly  abforbed  by 
drunkennefs  and  debauchery  ;  and  the  pre 
mature  .end  of  it  was  well  calculated  to  afford  a 
Striking  example  to  A  BAD  HEART  j 

Nothing  was  wanting  to  augment  the  felici 
ty  of  Glencairn,  but  an  encreaie  of  his  family  ; 
and  even  that  was  almoft  compenfated  by  the 
recolle&ion  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Courtenay 
were  his  heirs. 

We  will  now  take  leave  of  Lady  Jane  Glen 
cairn,  and  her  happy  hufband.  Conftant  pat 
terns  [of  connubial  happinefs,  their  lives  were 
ipent  in  the  exercife  of  every  focial  virtue  ; 
and  Lady  Jane  proved  the  happy  Contra  ft  be 
tween  unavoidable  error  and  premeditated  vice. 

y    H    E       END. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  boo1-*  <re  subie^t  to  immediate  recall. 


045891 


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